Claiomh Solais: The Sword of Light
by BrokenMimir
Summary: Balor, King of the Fomori, makes a deal regarding the cursed soul of Ireland's most notorious demon, leaving Buffy and Xander in dire straights. (Not a Buffy/Xander Pairing! They are the main characters.) (Part One of the Saga of the Seven Swords)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**Awakening Evils**

On a cliff overlooking the ocean, a great castle stood in ruins. Dun Bhaloir had once been the grand heart of an empire, but millennia of wind and rain had beaten down its battlements and reduced it to but a shadow of its former glory. Despite its pitiable state, a tension could still be felt in the air, as it had once been home to one of the greatest evils to ever walk the mortal world. An evil that, though dead, still lay in the dark, restlessly awaiting its return.

Into this ancient fort strode a monstrous lion, with feathered wings and a mane of green flame. Fearlessly it moved through darkened halls, until it arrived at last at the deepest, darkest depths of the castle's dungeons. Sitting in a room with shadows which hung as thick as cobwebs was a massive bier, on which an enormous figure lay still as death.

If the dead creature had been standing it would have towered more than three stories tall. Its skin was a mottled gray like stone, and as wrinkled and distorted as the wax of half burned candle. Its head was that of a mangy goat, with a single great eye in the middle of its forehead. On the left side of its body was its only arm, so long that it stretched past its foot as it lay on its back. It had only a single leg as well, this one on the right side of its body, as thick as an oak tree and corded with layers of bulging muscle.

"Balor," the lion creature called, revealing a long, forked tongue. "I would treat with thee, O King of the Fomori."

The dead giant took a single great breath, and then spoke with a rumble that shook the earth. "What business have you with me, spirit?"

"I have come to offer you aid," the lion replied. "I have the power to restore you and your people to life."

"You mean you come to seek a boon," Balor countered. "Do not seek to fool me, spirit. I may lay dead, but someday I will arise again to reclaim that which is mine. Why should I do so now. It is not yet my time?"

"I seek to bring about the end of this age, and the beginning of the next. Perhaps that age will be yours?"

"Then I see no cause to rise," Balor countered. "Bring about your new age. It may be one in which I would awake on my own. Then I wold not owe a favor to a nameless spirit."

"To bring about the end, I must seek your aid. The natural order of this world has been disrupted beyond all repair. With your power, I can ensure that the next age will not be an age of man."

"Pretty words. But it will still be an age created at your whim. Not at my whim."

"What do you want?" the lion asked, sounding annoyed for the first time. "For what would you be willing to awaken?"

"Before my grandson slew me, I ruled the Fomori, and all of the demons of Ireland. I would know what has become of the world since my defeat. Bring me the most evil demon to have arisen in Ireland since I fell. Then I will aid your cause."

The lion chuckled. "He languishes under a curse, forced to serve the Powers."

The Fomori King roared in outrage, its bellow shaking the castle and causing dust to fall from the ceiling. "That fate is not fit for the most evil of Irish demons. Awaken me, spirit. I will break this curse. I will call this demon to my court. Then I will aid you in your quest."

The green fire that made up the lion's mane flowed across the ancient stone, until it covered the giant's entire body, seeping into its wretched flesh. Slowly the King of the Fomori arose, standing on its one great leg as its only hand gripped the floor to help it balance.

"I am called Twilight," the lion boldly declaimed. "Together, we will bring about the end of this age, and the beginning of a new era!"

They paused for a moment, looking at each other awkwardly. "So... what is this curse?" the Fomori King asked impatiently.

"Right," Twilight said, clearing its throat. It had been waiting for this chance for far too long to delay further.

"Can't say I didn't warn you!" Buffy told the green, tentacle faced demon as she shot it through the heart with her crossbow. It screeched piteously, before inflating like a balloon. Buffy didn't even hesitate, simply leaping to the side, swinging from a branch to get behind one of the thick swamp trees.

The other Slayers weren't so on the ball, and were caught by surprise as the demon burst, spraying purple gunk everywhere. Smelly purple gunk.

Buffy jumped down from her perch and eyed her squad for a moment, smirking. The guts weren't dangerous, so she could afford to be amused at her subordinates expense. She had been covered with so much demon viscera over the years that it felt good to be the clean one for a change. "Mission accomplished," she said, touching her earbud.

"Roger that," Xander said through the device. "Any problems?"

"Nope," she said, smiling wearily. "Just a good lesson in paying attention to demon lectures."

"Covered in purple slime?" he asked.

"Head to toe," she agreed, leading the pack of grumbling Slayers back to their transport. She cracked her neck, suppressing a yawn. Ever since her disastrous mission to the future, she had been run ragged, fighting one demon after another. Part of it, she knew, was her own fault. She could have delegated more, but doing so would have meant having time to think about what had happened.

It wasn't every day you killed your best friend... even a creepy, evil future version of her.

Part of her exhaustion couldn't be helped, however. Things seemed to be picking up, and she couldn't ignore people in danger now anymore than she could have in Sunnydale. The world needed her, even more than she needed sleep. Although not quite as much as she needed a shower. She may have avoided being covered in slime, but she had been fighting in a swamp, which didn't lend itself to cleanliness.

"By the way," Xander said. "When you get back, I've got some reports you should see."

"Can it wait?"

"Not really. Lotta people disappearing, Buff."

She wanted her bed. She wanted it bad. "Where?"

"Ireland."

**Author's Notes**

This story is based upon celtic mythology. I am not an expert on any form of mythology, and my sources are mostly found via the internet. I have, however, read numerous stories for research (the nice thing about Irish and Scottish myths is that many collections of them were printed in the eighteen hundreds, and so are in the public domain), not simply wikipedia entries. This story will primarily involve Irish myths, but I will be referencing a few Scottish as well, since they share much in common.

That was Balor of the Evil Eye, King of the Fomori. He has one huge leg, one arm, and one eye in center of his forehead, as well as an eye in the back of his head. Many fomori had goat heads or weird, wrinkly skin. I gave him those elements as well as the things that he was known for.

This story takes place at the middle point of Buffy Season 8. The story begins during the montage early in issue 20, and then quickly goes AU. Any information or story elements introduced after that point are not part of this story, although I may borrow a few things here or there. I will try to make this story comprehensible without having to read the comics, although I will be making heavy use of them.


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**Dark Ritual**

"Watch yourself," Buffy called sternly as she flipped over her foe, her iron knife digging into its back. She had her long blonde hair tied back in a loose pony tail, and was wearing her Slayer uniform: black pants, blue long sleeve shirt, brown combat boots, and a utility belt loaded with weapons and supplies. Everything a Slayer might need in the field. She was very glad she had at least taken the time to shower and change into a clean uniform, even if she still hadn't had time to sleep.

"Yes ma'am," Jenna, a young Slayer, said, dodging the enemy coming at her from behind. She was a round faced brunette dressed in the same fashion as Buffy. Like her leader, she was also armed with an iron knife.

Buffy looked around for a moment, her eyes narrowing as she saw one of the enemy swooping down towards Xander. He had been spending too much time alone lately, especially since Renee had died, and she had decided that he needed some field time. It wouldn't do for him to get out of touch with the slaying. Running forward she somersaulted through the air and took the enemy attacking her friend to the ground with a powerful downward slam of her heel, knocking it out of the air with ease. It fell to the earth and began to scream.

The creature had the body of a pale woman, with spindly, clawed arms where its legs should be and feathered black wings for arms. When it hit the ground it shrieked, revealing toothless gums as it shriveled away to nothing. Looking up, she grimaced as she saw the numbers still circling them overhead, although she smirked when she saw the one she had just stabbed lose its struggle to stay airborne and touch the ground, screaming as it too died quickly.

Xander looked up from where he had been reloading his crossbow. "Thanks, Buff."

"This is not what I pictured when you said there'd be some slaw," Buffy said, shifting her grip on her dagger as she tiredly eyed the circling attackers. She may have been the Slayer, but even she had some limits to her endurance, and her overfull workload was bringing her towards hers.

"Sluagh," he corrected as he fired another bolt, hitting one of the creatures in the wing joint, sending it spiraling to the earth where it died on contact. "And did I not say there was a flock? Because they look pretty flocky to me, flying up there all numerous."

"Well, I for one am going on the record in support of only one kind of slaw henceforth. The kind with cole, and only then when served with chicken. Bucketed chicken."

"I have to agree there, these really do leave a lot to be desired. Almost as bad as that sweet and sour haggis."

Before Buffy could reply she had to set herself as the remaining sluagh decided to attack. They swooped down on the three demon fighters, cawing like angry birds as they came, long, clawed legs braced to slash at them as they flew past. Just as they entered attack range, disaster struck.

A great keening wail arose from a nearby copse of trees, the sound rattling their bones and chilling their spirits. In the sound, Buffy could feel the moment that she had died, so long ago falling off of Glory's tower. The world grew darker, and it took her several long heartbeats to realize that it wasn't simply some artifact of her affliction, but rather the result of a swiftly rising fog that obscured vision and blotted out the stars.

Only years of experience and well honed instinct let Buffy dodge to the side, stabbing upwards with her iron knife as she did, clipping a wing and sending another sluagh ploughing into the earth. Xander fired his crossbow and dove to the ground, combat honed reflexes carrying him to safety despite the painful, disorienting wailing. Jenna was not so lucky.

As the wailing died away to nothing, Buffy stared in horror as the Slayer under her command fell to the ground in a spray of blood, unmoving. Clutched in the claws of the sluagh that had struck her was a wavering, ephemeral version of the girl, which screamed soundlessly as she writhed in the monster's grasp.

"Buffy! That's her soul! Stop it!" Xander shouted, his ears still ringing from the sourceless wail.

"I know," Buffy said, her voice clipped as she ran to a large tree, jumping into the air and rebounding from its trunk. Flipping through the dense fog she wrapped her arms around the demon, pulling it off balance and pinning one of its wings to its side. It plummeted earthward, striking the ground hard and withering away underneath her. The spectral version of Jenna slowly faded away.

Across the meadow, Xander crouched over the Slayer, his hands pressed to her gaping wounds trying to stem the flow of blood. A moment after Buffy struck the ground the girl suddenly gasped, twitching as her eyes focused. "Sir? I..."

"Shh," he said. "Don't talk."

Buffy gritted her teeth and ran at a sluagh that sought to hit Xander while he delivered first aid, her blade savagely tearing its side open. Snarling, she rebounded off of a tree to deliver a powerful kick to another, riding it to the ground to cushion her fall. Just as she hit the earth she found herself stumbling as the sourceless wailing arose again, deafeningly loud, making her teeth rattle and her mind flit back to the sensations she had felt when she had died.

Before she could waver, Buffy took a glance at Xander as he frantically worked to save one of her Slayers. She had trained the girl, a sweet kid from Ohio who wanted to be grade school teacher, and now she was bleeding out on the grass, her very soul in peril if Buffy couldn't kill the last of the sluagh. Glaring at their blurred outlines as they circled through the fog, Buffy bared her teeth angrily. They didn't stand a chance.

Xander continued his ministrations. Jenna's injuries were bad, but if Buffy could deal with the demons – and with his quick glance revealing her beating one into the ground with another, he knew she could – he could call in a medical team and she would pull through.

"I'm sorry," Jenna said weakly once the wail died down again.

"Hey now!" Xander said. "Nothing to be sorry about. These'll barely leave a scar."

"No... I'm sorry I let you both down."

"Impossible. You'd have to like, swoon over Lestat, or try to drown Buffy in a fountain or something before we'd be upset with you. Buffy wouldn't have picked you if you weren't good. You in no way let us down, do you hear me missy?"

"Yes sir," she said, smiling slightly.

Buffy finished off the last of the sluagh, carefully scanning the area as her spidey-sense continued to scream at her despite seeing nothing. Before she could check on Jenna, she finally saw something coming through the fog.

At first it was simply glowing blue lights, flickering in the mist. She then heard the muffled thump of hooves and a hollow rattling. Finally, the source of the lights came into view.

It was a large wagon, painted black, being drawn by a team of six great black horses, whose tails were so long that they swept the ground behind them. The strange thing about the animals, was that they had no heads, simply stumps where their necks ended. The lights on the wagon were candles that burned with eerie blue flames, and which used human skulls for candle holders. The wagon in general had human bone accents, in particular thigh bones forming the spokes of its wheels, and finger bones as decorative beadwork. Covering the bed of the wagon like an awning was a great, worm eaten, black funeral shroud.

Driving the wagon was a tall, headless figure dressed all in black. The missing head was tucked under its right arm, and it had waxy flesh of a sickly pale green color. Its mouth stretched from ear to ear with a disturbing grin, and its huge round eyes darted about quickly, looking everywhere at once. In its left hand it held an incredibly long human spine, which it cracked like a whip to encourage its headless horses.

At the back of the wagon, under the protection of the awning, was a large, elaborately carved throne. The figure sitting on it was a pale woman of surpassing beauty, with long, straight silver hair and pale blue eyes. She sat tall and proud, and wore a long dress made of condensed mist. Sitting on the back of her throne were three songbirds, which sat calmly despite their gruesome surroundings. Arranged before her on the floor of the wagon were three ancient women, all as hideous as the one on the throne was beautiful, all wearing plain gray dresses.

Buffy set herself into a combat stance as the horses pulled to a stop. The woman on the throne smiled at her coldly. "Surrender, mortal, and I will not harm you."

"Right," Buffy said sarcastically. "I so believe that."

"As well you should," she offered regally. "I am Clionadh, and I have no need to trick lower beings such as yourself. Do as I command, or suffer."

"Sorry, Miss Clio. I've never been good at 'following commands'."

The grinning face tucked under the headless coachman's right arm snarled at her, and the dark figure swung the spine he griped in his left hand at her face, directly towards her eye, with inhuman speed. Raising her left arm she grunted in pain as the bone whip wrapped around her limb, opening a bloody gash. Gripping the cold weapon with a grimace of distaste, Buffy heaved with all of her considerable might, pulling him from his seat, sending him crashing to the ground.

Buffy gave him no chance to recover, running forward and landing a crescent kick to his wrist which knocked the handle of his whip from his hand even as he climbed to his feet. Discarding the gruesome weapon, Buffy punched him hard in the side, before half spinning to bury her iron knife in his heart. She was surprised when he simply backhanded her, splitting her lip and sending her reeling.

Buffy smoothly drifted back from his next attack, darting in behind it to launch a full strength punch at his head. Her fist sunk into it easily with a sickening squish, meeting no more resistance than if she had punched a round of moldy cheese. Pulling her hand back, covered in rotten green flesh, she barely managed to block his next punch, the hit powerful enough to leave a deep bruise even on her arm.

Before she could consider her next tactic, the women entered the fray. The first old woman opened her mouth and let out a sound like two heavy wooden boards being clapped together with great strength. The next sang a beautiful, wordless tune with a deep tenor voice that rattled their bones. The third made a terrible sound that seemed to be a mix between a woman screaming in torment and a dying owl. Finally the woman on the throne opened her mouth as well, releasing the high keening wail that had so effectively distracted them while they had been fighting the sluagh.

Each voice was maddening in its own right, but together, as some form of damned chorus, it was too much for even the hardend Sunnydale veterans. Buffy staggered about, dizzy and disoriented, barely blocking the probing hits of her headless opponent, only experience and instinct saving her from several telling blows. Xander had by then finished binding the unconscious Jenna's wounds, and he managed to crawl away from her before losing his lunch on the ground. Looking up dazedly, he frowned as he watched his best friend begin to take a serious beating.

Xander dug around in his pockets with shaking hands, before finally pulling out the pocket watch Buffy had bought him for his birthday after becoming the Head Watcher for her organization. Unable to stand, he crawled towards his friend as quickly as he could, finally holding it up to the creature's damaged head when he was close enough.

The monster gave an outraged roar, before it turned and ran, disappearing into the thick fog. Looking at a swaying Buffy, he grinned as the women stopped wailing. "Glad you splurged for the nice one, Buff."

"Huh?" she asked, looking vaguely at him. Her eyes were unfocused, and she saw two of him, holding up his pocket watch.

"Gold. Dullahan flee from gold."

"Oh," she said, shaking her head, trying to pull herself together. Reaching down, she grabbed him by the back of his shirt and hauled him to his feet, before drawing one of her combat knives from her belt. "Someone's been studying. So, I'm thinkin' banshees?"

"Banshees," Xander agreed. "They don't usually get all with the violence, though."

"Someone should tell them that," Buffy complained. "How is Jenna."

"I stopped the bleeding, but it's bad. If she weren't a Slayer, she wouldn't make it." He reached up and touched the communicator in his ear. "Hey, this is Xander. We've got a Slayer down, in need of medivac, pronto. Hostiles still present." He paused for a moment, before lowering his hand to reload his crossbow. "We've got choppers incoming."

"Then let's finish this before they get here. I don't want to risk our medics."

"Finish this?" Clionadh said. "That does sound to be acceptable."

Taking a deep breath, all four banshee began to scream, but as they did they slowly climbed down from the wagon, moving ever closer to the two demon fighters. Xander was the first to succumb, collapsing to the ground with blood pouring from his ears. Buffy managed one last charge, only to stare in horror as her dagger shattered inches in front of Clionadh, torn apart by the intensity of her keening. She had only moments to contemplate that before everything went black.

Buffy was in a deep, dark place. Slowly, with great effort, she pushed herself towards consciousness. Her first reaction was to regret doing so. Her head hurt. Had she been drinking? Between her beer experience in college, and her Spike inspired experiment with drunkenness after her resurrection, she had avoided drinking. Had she fallen off the wagon?

Dimly, past the drums pounding away in her head, she heard a smooth voice chanting. It was a pleasant soprano voice, the liquid syllables blurring together into a beautiful song. She could listen to it for hours, she decided woozily, wondering where she had gotten the CD. She finally realized that something was dreadfully wrong when she tried to shift her arm and failed.

Snapping her eyes open, she saw the three elderly banshees and the headless dullahan each holding one of her limbs, keeping her pressed to the grass, unable to move. She couldn't tell how long she had been out, the fog still laying thick all around her. Turning her head she could see Xander laying unconscious nearby, a tight knot in her chest loosening as she saw his chest slowly rising and falling. The other Slayer was nowhere to be seen.

Looking up, she saw the beautiful banshee standing over her. She was the source of the musical chanting, and the hair swiftly rose on the back of the Slayer's neck as she realized that it was some sort of mystic ritual, and she was laid out like a sacrifice. Buffy twisted and jerked, trying to free herself, but she was still weak and disoriented from the banshee's attack, and the creatures holding her were quite strong.

A flickering green glow began to light up the clearing, but no matter how much Buffy craned her neck she couldn't locate the source. Whatever was shedding the light was slowly coming closer, and from the sound it made as it moved she could tell that it was large, but walked quite lightly. Concentrating, she shivered at the feeling her spidey-sense gave her. Clionadh was extremely powerful, and her servants holding Buffy down were no slouches, but whatever had entered the clearing was in a league of its own.

Clionadh leaned down and placed a familiar crystalline sphere over Buffy's heart. The Slayer tried to move again, struggling against the hold, but nothing she did could free her. A warm, languid feeling began to spread outward from the Orb of Thesulah being held to her. For a moment she felt as though someone else were there, holding her in their arms, filling her with love. A single tear escaped her eye as she lay, overwhelmed by the sensation.

Then, a pull began at her heart. She gasped, as something seemed to pass through her, filling her completely before being forcefully ripped through her body and into the Orb, which began to glow. She stared at it, wide eyed, as Clionadh finished her spell.

"It is done," she said. "I have taken it."

"You have done well, O Queen of Banshees," a rumbling voice said from the direction of the green light. "Truly what you have accomplished could only be done a goddess of love. Take the soul to Dun Bhaloir. And remember, leave her alive. I have plans for her." The green light slowly faded away.

Clionadh sniffed in annoyance. "Impudent beast."

"What... did you do?" Buffy forced out.

The Banshee Queen gave the Slayer a superior look. "You wish to know, girl? This Orb now contains the soul of the one you love in your heart. Think of it, little Slayer: your love has now brought Angelus into this world twice over!"

Buffy lay still for a long moment, overwhelmed. If Angelus had truly been let loose once again... then she couldn't afford to lie around.

Reaching deep, Buffy snarled, and with a surge of effort, pulled with her entire body, using every ounce of strength she possessed. The creatures holding her limbs crashed into each other, collapsing into a thrashing pile on top of her, until she kicked them all off, flipping to her feet in an instant. Spinning, she chopped her hand hard into the Banshee Queen's throat.

Clionadh staggered back, holding the Orb in one hand and her neck with the other, gasping for breath. Buffy quickly laid about her, delivering punishing blows to the rising banshees, sending them back to the ground, before punting the dullahan so hard that he flew through the air a dozen feet into a tree, smashing into it with a shower of splinters.

"Freeze, Slayer," Clionadh rasped, "or I will break his neck."

Buffy stopped, glaring angrily at her foe as the banshee held Xander by his throat. "I'm warning you: you won't get away with this," she promised, her voice glacial.

"I rather think I will," Clionadh said, trying for smug but failing due to her injured throat. She slowly walked into the fog with her hostage, disappearing in moments. "Good luck, Slayer. You'll need it."

Slowly the fog lifted, and Buffy realized what her enemy had meant. "I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore."

**Author's Notes**

Sluagh were spirits of the damned who took the form of black birds and flew about in flocks, stealing souls. They were unable to touch the ground. I obviously changed their appearance, but a flock of birds was kind of tame, so I made them more demonic. I had Buffy and Jenna wielding iron knives since some stories have sluagh be a kind of fairy, many of which were vulnerable to iron.

I didn't have to do much to the dullahan. They are really creepy already, and that whip strike was aimed for the eyes – they whip them out of peoples heads who dare to look at them. I based the banshees on several different stories – they are from all over the region and the tales about them are inconsistent, so I used a little bit of everything. Their leader was Clionadh, the Banshee Queen, goddess of love and beauty.


	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**A Peculiar Girl in a Strange Otherworld**

The sky was a blue so vibrant that it nearly brought tears even to Buffy's jaded eyes. The grass under her feet was short and even, despite no signs of cutting, and so soft, if she were to nap she wouldn't need a sleeping bag. Perfect trees stood straight and proud in neat copses, and the open ground was interspersed with perfectly formed rolling hills all the way to the horizon. Everything she looked at was so perfect, that it was obviously supernatural.

The first thing Buffy did after taking everything in was pinch herself, hard, to make sure she wasn't dreaming. When she was finally sure that she wasn't, she messed with her radio for a few minutes, to no avail. No channel seemed to work at all, although she would try it again later, after Xander had time to wake up. She refused to accept any other option for his condition.

She spent several minutes examining the area for any useful clues, before finally giving up in frustration. Nothing was lying around, and the grass was so springy that she couldn't even find her own footprints moments after making them. Finally she retraced her steps to where she had been standing when the fog had first cleared. It took her several minutes, but eventually she felt confident that she was in the right place, and facing in the same direction that Xander had been taken away in. She then began to walk.

Hours passed, the too perfect scenery unchanging around her as she travelled, until eventually she saw a stream ahead. Walking over to it, she saw that it was impossibly clear, with the fish easily visible all the way to the bottom despite slowly flowing. She frowned when she saw an odd shape in the water.

It took her several moments to realize what she was seeing, and even longer for her to accept it. A full sized cow, all white except for bright green spots, was swimming under the water as if it belonged there. After a few minutes it surfaced, jumping out of the stream and back into it like a dolphin playing. Except that it was a full sized cow. A green spotted cow.

Buffy slowly turned away from the stream and began walking, ignoring what she had just witnessed. She had seen many strange things during her time as the Slayer, but that... that was just too weird.

Later in the afternoon she noticed a strange glimmer of light ahead. Approaching it warily, she saw that it was a huge field of flowers, densely packed together. Examining one, she realized that it was made of polished steel, and covered with sharp barbs and thorns. Despite being metal, the flowers had a heavenly aroma, although she could find no safe way to pick one.

The field of metal flowers extended to the horizon, and so Buffy was forced to walk around it. Eventually, the sun set, and she found herself no closer to any destination. She was beginning to get very down; Buffy had become used to constantly working to keep her army of Slayers together, and so she hadn't really been isolated or without something to do in years. Also, as hours passed without her radio working at all, she grew more and more worried for Xander's safety, as well as that of Jenna and the other Slayers.

Just as she was beginning to contemplate finding someplace to lay down and sleep for the night, she saw a light ahead. Moving silently, she crept up to the source, eventually finding a small campfire burning beside a stream. Sitting on a rock and gazing into the fire was a handsome man of around thirty, with pale, lightly freckled skin and shoulder length red hair. He was dressed in a tunic and hose, and was shuffling a deck of cards as she approached. He looked completely human, but she could tell that he wasn't; whatever the man was, he was powerful, although he didn't feel evil.

Despite her silence he seemed unsurprised when she stepped into the light, merely giving her a nod in greeting. "Welcome, be," he said with a rich, pleasant voice. "Care to share the fire, traveller?"

"Thanks," Buffy said, smiling stiffly as she sat across the fire from him. "Haven't seen anyone out here."

"Aye, not too many wander these parts. Say, you wouldn't happen to have any food, would you? I have little with me save my cards, and have caught nothing worth eating."

Buffy hesitated for a moment, and then shrugged. Opening a compartment on her belt, she pulled out a pair of ration bars, handing him one before opening one for herself. "I'm not sure they actually count as food, but they have everything a body needs – except flavor. Bright side: they taste so bad you won't even mind that I don't have many!"

The red haired man chuckled, slowly eating his bar. Buffy grimaced as she choked hers down, swallowing it only partially chewed with a swig of water from her canteen. Every time she opened a ration she somehow convinced herself that they couldn't be as nasty as she remembered. Then, with her first bite, she always realized that they weren't – they were actually even worse.

"So," she said after finishing her food. "I'm Buffy."

"Nice to meet you, Buffy," the man said, giving her a charming grin. "You may call me Rua."

"So, I was wondering," Buffy said. "I've been trying to find my friend, but I have no clueage where he could be."

"Tell me about this friend, and I may be of some aid."

"Well, he has dark hair, and an eyepatch, and kind of a goofy grin. He had an earpiece in like me, and belt like this one. Oh! He was also kinda getting carried off by a banshee."

"A banshee? They don't generally take mortals away. Did she say where she might take him?"

"Um... yeah... there was something," Buffy said, frowning. Come on, she thought. What was that word? Why do you never pay any attention to names, brain? "I heard a name... Dune Baller?"

"Do you mean, Dun Bhaloir?"

"Yeah! That's it. Dune Baller."

Rua smirked at that for a moment, before looking concerned. "If he is being held in Dun Bhaloir, then your friend is in grave danger."

She nodded. "That sounds about right. Can you tell me where it is?"

"Aye, though I advise waiting on the morrow. It is some miles from here, and it is far too easy to get turned 'round under the moon."

"If he's in trouble, I have to rescue him," Buffy said, her face hardening. "Besides, I do my best work at night."

"You are tired though, and he has already been missing for some time. Making excessive haste would only put you both in danger."

"I can't just do nothing!" Buffy said, her day of frustrated fear creeping into her tone before she brought herself back under control. "He's my best friend. If something happened to him..."

"Do you trust your friend?"

"Of course..."

"Then trust him now."

She sighed. "I know he's capable. I'd rather have him watching my back than half my Slayers... but when he is, I can watch his back too."

"A good sentiment," Rua said, nodding. "But one that worrying for can do nothing good. Here, how 'bout a game of cards? It should help take your mind off your troubles for a timne. When we're more relaxed I'll tell you how to find Dun Bhaloir."

Buffy didn't really want to play cards, but he was right about Xander being able to take care of himself. He was also her only lead, and running the worldwide battle against evil had taught her the basics of diplomacy. It would be better to keep Rua as an ally if at all possible, rather than alienating him by beating Xander's location out of him. Sighing, she moved around the fire, sitting cross legged in the soft grass and waiting for him to deal.

Buffy had never had much time for card playing, although she new the basics. The basics, as it turned out, were worth nothing. After several quick and complete losses she finally tried to get Rua to talk. "So... where is this Dune Baller place?" She never had been a fan of subtleties.

He smiled at her. "Your card skills are as blunt as your tongue. How about I show you a little trick?"

"Trick?"

"Aye. Here, don't touch the cards when I deal. While I'm shuffling wiggle your nose three times..."

"Wait," Buffy interrupted incredulously. "Wiggle my nose? What are you talking about?"

Rua grinned at her rakishly. "Come now! It's only the two of us here, so no need to worry 'bout looking foolish. If it does nothing, then all your out is a bit of a laugh with a traveller chance met by a stream."

Rolling her eyes, Buffy wiggled her nose three times while he shuffled.

"Good! Now, having wiggled your nose, wait for me to deal – and remember not to touch the cards! When they're all dealt, then you can touch them, but make sure that the third finger of your left hand is the first to do so."

Shrugging, she grabbed her cards as directed, only to have her eyes nearly fall from her sockets when she saw her hand. "Okay, so whats the deal? I look silly so you stack the deck?"

"Oh no, not at all! No, I taught you how to always win at a hand of cards!"

"By wiggling my nose," she said flatly.

"And picking up the cards the right way! O' course, it'll only work for you since I taught you the trick, and it'll only work as long as you tell no one about it."

Buffy frowned, eyeing the man carefully. She had never been much for hitting the books, but she had lived and breathed the supernatural for years, and the last several had been without anyone really experienced to help her and Xander do the research. She had read somewhere that a supernatural gift that would go away if she told anyone about it was common among fairies. In fact, the gift would often be replaced with an equivalent curse if she did tell anyone.

Deciding not to comment, they played more hands, sometimes using her trick to win, sometimes not and accepting her losses. She would need to verify that the trick actually worked and wasn't simply him messing with her, but it was something to remember.

When she began yawning he finally told her how to reach Dun Bhaloir. It was apparently a ruined castle on a cliff overlooking the sea, and it would take her some hours to reach it the next day. She gave him one last evaluation before curling up on the far side of the fire. She didn't trust him, as friendly as he had been, but she was tired, and leaving now would be both rude and dangerous in its own way.

Leading the war against evil with an army depending on her had taught her to catch sleep whenever she had a spare moment, and so it didn't take her long to drift off. Her last thought was to wonder what Xander was doing, wherever he was, and who she would need to kill for taking him.

Xander moaned, his head pounding. "Why'd I think sparring with the Slayers was a good idea," he groaned, bringing his hands up to cradle his throbbing skull. Eventually he managed to drag his eye open, although he was far from pleased with what he found. Waking up in a cage has a way of doing that. "So, not sparring then."

Sitting up, he took in his surroundings. The cage was fairly large, a cube of steel grating eight feet on a side, with a a hinged top that would allow passage, except that it was weighed down by a huge boulder. His cage was otherwise empty, save for a bucket of water and a chamber pot. Xander really hoped he wouldn't be stuck in the cage long enough to need either.

The room beyond the bars was colossal in scope. It was apparently some kind of stone amphitheater, with an enormous stone stage at one end of the room, and a huge archway at the other. The walls, floor and ceiling were made from carefully placed stone blocks, each one ten feet on a side, all constructed so precisely that not even a piece of paper could fit between them. He was mostly a wood worker, be he had a good eye for construction in general, and while the structure was obviously thousands of years old, he could tell that it had been built with consumate skill.

He spent several minutes checking his cage for any weaknesses, and when he found none, he looked over his gear, and was pleasantly surprised to find everything still present. Testing his radio, he frowned when he was unable to get any signals. Finally, he sat down, resigned to wait until his captors came to check on him.

After nearly an hour he felt the floor begin to shake, and he looked around nervously while it did. As a native Californian, he was well used to earthquakes, and so he quickly noticed that whatever was shaking the floor wasn't that. His eye nearly fell out of its socket when the source of the tremor became apparent.

Balor came into the room, his irregular arm and leg stride being responsible for the disturbance. The giant locked his single nearly closed eye with Xander's for a moment, before moving to the cage and lifting off the huge stone pinning its top and causally setting it on the floor. Opening the lid, he grabbed Xander and pulled him out, setting him in the middle of the floor before climbing up on the stage, which Xander quickly realized was in fact a giant throne.

"Um, hi," Xander began, smiling ingratiatingly at the giant. "I think there's been some kinda misunderstanding. Happens all the time. So, if you don't mind, I'll just go on and get out of your hair..."

"No misunderstanding," the giant rumbled. "You are my prisoner."

"Oh, that's an option too. Although, you could just let me go. Way less hassle for both of us. Well, mostly for me."

"You have two choices," the giant continued, ignoring him completely. "You can be my slave. You can be my dinner."

"Wow. Huh. Um... any chance for a none of the above?"

The one eyed giant wrinkled its brow. "No."

"Well," Xander said, looking around carefully, dismayed to find no obvious method of escape. "I'm going to come right out in opposition to the whole dinner option."

The giant nodded sagely. "Good. I've always wanted a cyclops for a slave. Two eyeds always think they are better than one eyeds."

"Yup," Xander said, nodding. "Damn those two eyeds. Always thinking they're better than us, what with their depth perception and everything."

The giant reached into the leather pouch hanging from its belt, and pulled out a metal ring, giving it to Xander. "This is your collar."

"Thanks," Xander said, examining the iron collar. "You shouldn't have. Really, really shouldn't have."

"Put on collar. Or I eat you."

"Right," Xander said cheerfully, placing the collar around his neck where it sealed into place. "Lovely collar. Really brings out my eye."

"Try and remove the collar while I live, and you will be missing more than an eye," Balor said, pausing for a long moment. "You will be missing a head."

"Wow," Xander said drily. "I had no idea what I might lose. Glad you cleared that up there."

"Try and leave my castle while I still live. You will also lose your head."

"So, not to sound ungrateful about the whole deadly gift thing, but... why exactly am I your slave again? Last thing I remember were some banshees."

"Yes," Balor rumbled. "Clionadh took you while she took the soul."

"Soul?" Xander asked. "What soul? Soul taking is the kind of news I don't love."

The giant reached into the collar of his shirt and fished out a rope, at the end of which was bound an Orb of Thesulah. "This has the soul of Liam. He is a son of Ireland. Clionadh channeled the soul of the one the Slayer loved into it. Now Angelus is back in the world."

"Is Buffy okay?" he asked, trying to conceal his panic.

"Yes. Clionadh had to take you hostage to escape her. Now you are my slave."

"Right. The slave thing. Not too fond of that. So, why the big scheme to bring back Angelus? What do you get out of it?"

"I am Balor. I am King of the Fomori. I am Lord of all Irish Demons. He is the most evil demon to come from Ireland since I last walked the mortal world. I will soon call him to me, that I can see what has become of my land in my absence."

"That sounds like a bad idea. Angelus is really nasty. What if he just, you know, kills you?"

Balor laughed, the force of it shaking the ground. "You are a funny slave. You will make a fine jester for my court."

"Hey, always knew being class clown would be good for something."

"Do not worry. Keep making me laugh and I won't eat you." He paused for a long moment. "Stop being funny, and I will eat you."

"Wow, no pressure. Seriously though, last time I met him, Angelus was really cranky."

"Do not worry about Angelus. I can crush him like any other ant. I am far too strong to be killed by a puny vampire."

"Well, you do look really strong. But he's got a rep for a reason. Plus, people will come looking for me. The Xan-man is in much demand."

"My powers are beyond your imagining. Anyone I look at fully with my eye perishes. No mortal weapon may harm me. I am strong!"

"Wow!" Xander said, obsequiously. "You really are powerful. How do you get anything done though, if looking at things kills? I mean, shouldn't I be pushin' up the daisies?"

"It only works if my eye opens fully. If I did so, you would simply fall over dead." He paused. "Would you like me to look at you?"

"No, no. I believe you. No need to raise the ol' eyelid. Still though, I've fought a lot of bad guys, and they always have some kinda weakness. And Angelus is really good at finding weaknesses. Are you sure bringing him here is a good idea?"

"I am a Fomori! What cause have I to fear a tiny vampire!"

"Well, that is a good point. I mean, it's got to be hard to hurt you from way down here. But see, I'm not giant. Or strong. Or impressive at all. I'm just a carpenter who can tell a few jokes and do the Snoopy dance."

"Snoopy dance?"

"Yup," Xander said, nodding, before launching into it.

"Good! Good dance. Soon my court will be reassembled. Then you shall do the Snoopy dance twice every day!"

"Great," Xander said, smiling painfully. "Just... great. But see, I'm not strong like you. What if Angelus decides to hurt me. I'd be defenseless. 'Specially since we get along like fire and TNT."

"He would not dare harm my jester!" Balor bellowed, appalled at the very thought. "You are part of my court. You have my protection."

"Right, but what if you aren't here?"

Balor reached out with a single enormous finger and poked Xander in the forehead. A tingle passed through his body, making him shiver. "You have my favor. You shall enjoy great health. Even the most terrible of wound shall heal cleanly. Unless you make my boon known."

"Right," Xander said, swallowing hard. That was not what he had been expecting, although he wouldn't argue if Balor's action didn't have some price, other than not telling anyone about it. Good health would be handy in his line of work. "Still, Angelus is tricky. What if he found a way to hurt you?"

"No lower being can bring me down. It would take the Claiohm Solais."

Xander barely kept a straight face. He had been able to tell immediately that Balor was arrogant, and being a normal human always made demons underestimate him. "Claiohm Solais? What's that?"

"It is the Sword of Light. Its radiance blocks my sight. Its edge can cut even my flesh. Its light would burn any vampire who dared enter its presence. Angelus cannot wield it. He is nothing to my strength."

With his magic collar it was obvious he wouldn't be escaping any time soon, but he had already done his job. When Buffy came to his rescue he could pass the word about the ultimate vamp buster sword, and then kick back and watch her cut Balor down to size. It would be like high school all over again, just with iron collars instead of Hawaiian shirts for questionable fashion choices.

Until Buffy came, he'd just have to polish his wit and his Snoopy dance, but he'd make it. It was moments like this, as he began telling the giant demon king knock knock jokes, that he was glad he never got a sense of dignity.

**Author's Notes**

The green spotted underwater cow... yeah. Didn't make that up. At all. The full stories about fairy cows are even weirder. The metal plants were my interpretation of 'steel thistles', which are mentioned in the Irish story of Morraha, among others. Rua means 'red' in Gaelic, I think, and he is the Red Haired Man of several myths, a fairy who likes to help mortals. The thing with the cards was a bit of whimsy, although a minor magical ability that goes away if you tell anyone about it is common to fairy gifts.

I really like Season 8 Xander, especially his friendship with Buffy early on. I've never really written him before, so I hope I got him in character. The good health boon by Balor thing was just something I made up completely – the Fomori gave the Tuatha De Danann the gift of agriculture in some tales, but I couldn't find anything else that they gave. However, no one returns from the Otherworld unchanged, so I decided to give him a subtle, but valuable fairy style gift. He's not Wolverine now or anything, but it could really help him in the fight against evil, and the common cold.


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**Creeping Through the Shadows**

Buffy didn't want to wake up. She had thought that life on the Hellmouth never slowed down, but it was nothing compared to putting together and running an army of Slayers. Combine that with a new evil rising, more of the train wreck she called a love life, and her own slaying spree after a visit to the future in which she had killed an evil version of Willow, and she had badly needed rest. Laying on grass so soft it may as well have been a feather mattress, soothed by a the gentle babble of a nearby stream and the sweet songs of birds, and warmed by the sun, she was more comfortable than she had been in years.

In the end it was only her hunger which forced her to wake up, and when she did her worry for Xander quickly pulled her to full awareness. Jumping up, the first thing that she noticed was that Rua was missing. Not only missing, but there was no sign he had ever existed. Not a disturbed blade of grass, or wrapper from her rations, or even bit of ash from the fire he had had burning mere feet from where she had slept. If she hadn't already been aware that he was supernatural, she would have known for sure after that display.

Buffy spent the rest of the morning walking, stopping only for brief necessities, including more of the foul ration bars, but finally she reached the shoreline, which was a tall cliff overlooking the sea. Following the coast, she eventually saw her destination: Dun Bhaloir.

She carefully crept from crevice to boulder as she approached the structure, using every bit of her Slayer stealth and years of experience to reach its ruined walls without any risk of being observed. While it was a large, imposing structure, it was also a nearly collapsed ruin, with its outer walls having fallen down long ago, and holes in the side which would allow her entrance without having to risk the oversized front gate.

Buffy considered her options while huddling in the rubble of what had once been a guard tower, the screaming of her Slayer senses making her wary of the direct approach, especially as she didn't want to risk another hostage situation with Xander. Reaching into her utility belt, she pulled out her collapsing grapple and line, before moving from shadow to shadow to the side of the building. Throwing the grapple up high, she shot up the side of the structure like a spider, until she reached her entrance, which was some distance off of the ground.

Crouching in the hole in the wall, Buffy paused for a time to let her eyes adjust fully to the building's dim interior. The first thing that she noticed was that the inside of the building was vastly oversized, with huge arches for doors, and ceilings that towered more than five stories. Carefully repelling down the inner wall, she moved on silent feet as she began to explore.

Everywhere were signs of rot and decay, with little decoration save dust and mold, and no visible inhabitants save rats and spiders. Eventually, Buffy found her way to a large throne room, where she saw an iron cage with a boulder on top of it sitting near the oversized throne. Sitting in the cage was her missing friend. "Xander!" she called, rushing over to him. "Are you all right?"

"Hey Buffster!" he said giving her a grin. "I'm fine. My only wounds are to my dignity."

She examined him carefully for a moment, before her eyes widened. "Is that... a collar?"

Xander fingered the iron band around his neck and chuckled sheepishly. "Yup. Like I said, wound to the dignity."

"What happened? What did she do to you?" Looking at the boulder, she hopped on top of the cage and prepared to push it off. "I'll just get you out of here and..."

"Wait!" Xander shouted. "There's no point."

"Of course there's a point! I'm going to get you out of there and then I'm going to show that soon to be deadest of all banshees who've ever been dead what happens to people who hurt my friends. Spoiler: they get dead."

"Yeah, just one problem with that. When I woke up, I found out I'm now the prisoner of this giant named Balor. And by giant, I mean smaller than Dawnie, but still really really big."

"You know what they say: the bigger they are..." Buffy said leadingly.

"The harder they fall," Xander finished.

"Nope. The more places I can beat 'em."

He smirked. "That too. Seriously Buff, this collar has some major mojo going for it. It doesn't come off, and I don't get away until it comes off, or I'm gonna be a head shorter."

"Well," Buffy said consideringly as she hopped back down to the ground. "You are a bit too tall..."

"Buff, to you, everyone's a bit too tall."

Buffy pouted for a moment. "Meanie. Just for that, after I go deal with the giant, you can be my training dumm... I mean, my sparring partner when we get back."

"Wow, I'd love to, but I have this whole thing with the not dying." He turned serious, giving her a level look. "The thing is though, Buff, you can't just go kill this guy."

"Sure I can. I'm good at killing stuff. On my resume it says my skills are waitressing, deep frying, and killing stuff. Which probably explains why I had so much trouble finding a job back in Sunnydale."

"The giant said he couldn't be killed with a normal weapon. Plus, he has super vision."

"Super vison? I'm supposed to be afraid of someone that doesn't need eye glasses?"

"No. Super vision, as in, he looks at you and you die."

"You've got plan face."

"I've got plan mind too. The giant had a bigger ego than Glory, and I tricked him into telling me his secret weakness."

Buffy stared. "Seriously? How in the world did you pull that off? I mean, Big Bads like to brag, but usually they're smarter than that."

"I'll have you know, I turned on the old Xander charm and had him eating out of my hand. I coulda given James Bond lessons."

She gave him a disbelieving look.

"Fine," he huffed. "He liked the Snoopy dance so much he made me court jester."

Buffy burst out laughing. "Wow, I see what you meant about the dignity."

"Yeah, yeah. Once again I'm the butt monkey."

When she calmed down, she gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll deal with him, and then we can head back to where you're all Sergeant Fury."

"Hence the plan. Apparently, he can be killed by this magic sword called the Claiomh Solais."

"Cleave slowish?" she interrupted incredulously. "Isn't that the kind of thing you wouldn't want in a magic sword?"

He rolled his eyes. "The Sword of Light. Apparently, it'll kill him and stop his eye beams, so two for one deal."

"Okay. So where is it."

He opened his mouth, then closed it sheepishly. "Umm... I dunno. Is there a magic sword shop around here?"

She huffed. "Alright, I'll find it. Just be careful, jester."

"Ha ha. Speed is kinda important, too. Apparently, he's got Dead Boy's soul, and he's expecting Angelus to show up soonish."

"I know," she said grimly. "The banshee told me."

"Which means we're on a bit of a time table. I'll get by here, but you should still make with the speediness."

Buffy nodded, and started to turn, before stopping and giving him searching look. "Are you really okay?"

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. Just make sure I'm there when you go all Slayer on him."

"Will do," Buffy said, smiling at her friend, before she left as silently as she came.

Xander sighed to himself. "I wonder if he likes limericks?"

Buffy made it outside of Dun Bhaloir with little trouble, not meeting anyone on her way despite the steady buzz of her spidey-sense. She crept stealthily until she was out of sight of the walls, and then she looked around, concerned. She had no idea where to find the Claiohm Solais, and if Angelus was running loose, then the longer she took, the more people would die. With a sigh, she picked a direction and started walking.

After a few minutes she passed a copse of trees and was surprised to find Rua sitting on a rock with a large brown horse standing next to him. Buffy looked around carefully to make sure that she wasn't walking into a trap, before approaching him warily. "Hey."

"Hello again, Buffy," Rua said smiling.

"Right. Um, what's the what?"

"I came to see if you had found your friend, though I don't see him with you."

"I found him, but he had this collar on. He said that if I don't kill the giant, then he's stuck with an exploding fashion accessory."

"Ah, yes, that is trouble indeed. Have you had any thoughts toward the matter?"

"Yeah," Buffy said, nodding firmly. "I need to find the Sword of Light, and then I can get my slice and dice on."

"I see," Rua said nodding thoughtfully. "That is a good plan. The Claiomh Solais should be able to cleave e'en the flesh of the Fomori King, and its effulgence should prevent Balor from killing you at a glance. O' course, retrieving the sword will prove quite a challenge."

"Do you have any idea where to look? I don't even know where here is."

"I do indeed know, though you won't find the journey easy. I may be able to help you on your way, if you follow."

"Why are you helping me?" Buffy asked cautiously. "Not that I'm not grateful! 'Cause I am. Completely grateful. But..."

"You were kind to me, and gave me your food when I asked for it, and answered me when I asked questions. I like to help those in need, especially when they are polite. Why, you even took time to play cards with me instead of growing angry at the delay in my directions!"

"Wow," Buffy said, smiling slightly. "I don't think I've ever been so glad mom tried to pound all those mannery things into me."

"And a good thing she did! Manners and hospitality will get you further in life than you can ever expect. Now then, I'm willing to lend you this horse, Brown Allree, and he can take you to my three brothers, who all dwell in their own castles 'round this land. When he reaches them, he will shake himself and his bells will ring and you will have a foot in the door to speak with each brother, though you will have to convince them yourself to grant you their favor! If you can gain a token from each, then Brown Allree will take you to the path o' the sword."

"Thanks. Um... any advice on the whole convincing thingie? 'Cause I'm not great at diplomacy. Unless there's hitting. I'm good at that kinda diplomacy."

He smiled. "My brothers are not overly diplomatic themselves, truth be told. Simply be polite and mind your manners, and be prepared for strange sights or odd requests."

"Sounds like home."

"Now then, if you want my aid you will have to abide by three conditions. Condition the first, is that when you finish using the Claiomh Solais, you must give it and my brother's tokens to me for safekeeping."

Buffy hesitated for a moment. While she was wary about agreeing to hand over the apparently powerful magic weapon to an unknown like this, she really didn't have much choice. Without his aid, she would have no idea where to even begin looking for the sword. "Alright."

"Condition the second, you will speak not a word nor attempt to dismount Brown Allree no matter how strangely she may act until she rings her bells."

Buffy had no idea what that condition would mean, although she was pretty certain that it was going to be really annoying. "Fine."

"Condition the third, you will shed no blood at the castle of the Fir Bolg, nor of any who dwell therein e'en if they give stringent chase, e'en though they will surely never willingly yield the Claiomh Solais."

While she knew that that was going to be a troublesome condition, she doubted that the Fir Bolg security could be as tough as the banks she had robbed to fund her Slayer organization, and she had done that without any bloodshed. "Alright."

"Good. Then I will give you one more bit of advice before you go. When you depart the castle of the Fir Bolg, follow the path downhill to the waterfall and look for the Bridge of Two Hairs, which no giant may cross. It will not look to be able to support any weight at all, but it will serve you well if you are in a hurry."

"Thanks," Buffy said. "I'll have the sword before you know it."

"Good luck then, Buffy. You'll need it."

Buffy climbed onto the horse's back, grabbing the reigns and giving Rua a nod. Before she could blink the horse began to move.

She would have called what the horse was doing running, except saying that gave no justice to what was occurring. The horse didn't simply run; it flew over the meadows and hills with such great speed that she was concerned that if she didn't have Slayer strength she wouldn't have been able to hang on. On and on the animal sped, never slowing down from its blistering pace, until suddenly it began to behave strangely.

The horse raised its right foreleg, and grabbed its hoof with its teeth, running awkwardly on three legs as it did so. The awkward gait caused Buffy to rock back and forth, which given their speed of travel, nearly threw her from her saddle. Clinging to the horse tightly, she suppressed her instinctive desire to either dive to safety or shout, remembering the second condition which she had agreed to before taking the horse.

When it eventually became obvious that she wasn't going to react, the horse released its leg and looked back at her. If Buffy hadn't known better, she would have sworn that it was pouting at her, disappointed that it hadn't caused her to break her word with Rua. Given that she was pretty certain Rua was a powerful fairy, she was glad that Brown Allree hadn't tripped her up. She was also grateful that the strange behavior hadn't tripped the horse up, either.

Just as she began to relax she tensed again as she saw a large patch of the metal flowers ahead of her. They stretched as far as the eye could see, and she had already determined that they were a serious health hazard. Especially hazardous when her mount was speeding directly towards them faster than a car could drive. Holding on tightly, she set her mouth in a grim line and prepared for the worst.

At the last moment Brown Allree jumped, leaping impossibly high and far, sailing over acres of the deadly plants before finally landing lightly on the grass just past them, all without breaking stride. It wasn't long after that that Buffy saw a small castle standing on a hill. She appraised it professionally, her experience living in castles since Sunnydale allowing her to determine that it was a well built, medieval style construction, and one that was currently inhabited.

Nearing the gates, the horse abruptly stopped and stood completely still for nearly a minute. Finally, saddened that she hadn't reacted, it tossed its head, causing small bells in its tack to jingle quietly.

Buffy climbed off awkwardly, before walking slowly around to the front of the animal. Pointing her finger at it, she glared. "Cute. But keep that up, and you and me are gonna have problems, horsy."

The horse gave her an innocent look.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Right. My little sister, who is half horse right now for reasons that are beyond strange, invented that look. I'm keeping an eye on you. Anymore stunts like that and its off to the glue factory, capiche?"

The horse snorted.

Buffy strode off with a huff, ignoring the animal as she approached the entrance to the castle. Walking up to the gates, she saw that they were made from stout wood, and the stone around them was decorated with carvings of rams. Shrugging, she knocked loudly.

After a few moments a matronly woman with long curly hair wearing a simple dress opened it. "Yes, m'lady? How can I help you this day?"

"Um," Buffy said. "I'm looking for Rua's brother. He's supposed to be able to help me."

"Follow me then," the woman said. "He is out for the moment, but I expect him to return soon."

Buffy shrugged and followed, walking across the courtyard and into the keep. It was constructed of stone and quite grand, although everything looked medieval. As she was led down the hallways she noticed that all of the tapestries on the walls, as well as any other embellishments or decorations, depicted rams.

She was led to a small sitting room, and was soon given tea and cookies and left to wait. Having eaten nothing but the nearly inedible ration bars all day, she quickly tore into them, happy to get something tasty to eat.

Buffy heard the sound just as she was polishing off the last of her tea. It sounded like thunder in the distance, rolling on and on and never ending. Slowly the pounding came closer and closer, until at last she could pick out the sound for what it was: hoofbeats. Closer and closer they sounded, until at last the door was thrown open and an enormous ram burst into the room.

The ram had stormy gray fur, and was taller than she was at its chin. It had huge horns curled around each side of its head, and a look of human intelligence in its kind eyes. Coming to a stop, it examined Buffy for a long moment, before finally nodding.

The ram began to blur, slowly collapsing in on itself until standing in front of her was a stocky, gray haired man with a short goatee, kind eyes, and a confident grin. "Hello, miss!" he said in a bold voice. "Welcome to my castle!"

**Author's Notes**

I spent about 20 minutes studying Irish phonetic guides and the IPA on wikipedia trying to figure out the proper way to pronounce Claohm Solais. Why? Because just like every other weird proper name, Buffy prefers to mangle it, which means I have to figure out how to pronounce it so that I can figure out how to do it wrong. Cleave slowish is the best error I could come up with, knowing nothing about gaelic.

Brown Allree is the name of the magical horse from the story Morraha, although it is far from the only story with a magical horse like this. The thing with biting its own leg to get its rider to talk is from Morraha, although it goes into even more details about the weird things that had to be done to appease the magic horse in that tale.

The three brothers of the red haired man came from the story The Weaver's Son and the Giant of the White Hill. It was actually that story that convinced me to write this. I am, of course, taking certain liberties with all of the elements to tell the best tale that I can from the myths.


	5. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**Shape Changers**

Buffy stared at the man that a few moments before had been an enormous gray ram. "Um... thanks?"

He sat down in a chair, smiling at the serving woman who brought him a large mug of drink. "Beer?"

"No thanks. Me and beer are non-mixy things."

"More for me then!" he replied cheerfully, before taking an enormous swig of his drink. "Now then, I am Lord Reithe, the King of Rams. Who might you be, to be calling upon me with my brother's horse?"

"I'm Buffy," she said, smiling. "Your brother told me that you could help me."

"Oh?" he said. "What business do you have that I may be in aid of?"

"I need to find the cleave slowish."

"Cleave slowish?" he asked confused, before brightening. "Oh! You mean the Claiomh Solais!"

"Yeah! That's what I meant. Anyway, my friend is being held by an evil giant in this castle, and I need that sword to save him. Rua said you could help."

"I can indeed. In order to retrieve the Claiomh Solais from the Fir Bolg, you will need a token from myself and each of my brothers. But we will only give a token to those we feel are worthy of them."

Buffy set her jaw. "What do I have to do?"

He studied her for a moment, his face stern. "To gain my token... you must tell to me the news of the death of Glorificus."

"Say huh?" Buffy sputtered, surprised.

"I recognize your name, Vampire Slayer, however far removed from your world this one may be. The defeat of a god in battle is a tale worthy of song, yet none has been able to tell the full news of the deed. Tell me now, and tell me true, the tale of the defeat of the hell goddess, and I will give you the token and send you on your way!"

"I just have a question," she said hesitantly. "Your, um, a ram. And there are three of you. The others aren't a wolf and a hart, are they?"

"No, not at all!" he said, chuckling.

Buffy hesitated, but eventually started. She had reported to Giles about events at times, and had told her friends things when she felt the need to talk about them, but she had never really told many stories about slaying before. It felt weird to tell what she had done like it was some great tale, when at the time it had been nothing but fear and pain.

She worked hard to explain everything, although she left her sister out of it completely. Giant, centaur, or otherwise a pain in her ass, at the end of the day, she was still a part of Buffy. No matter how much trouble they had been having relating, no one mattered as much to her as her little sister did. So even if it put Reithe's aid at risk, she wouldn't say a thing about the Key.

Not knowing what powers the shape changer had, she decided to be careful with her words, telling no lies, and simply talking around the points she refused to explain. As the story spilled out of her, she found herself growing more confident in its telling, eventually, with his encouragement, even acting out parts for him. He kept a steady stream of tea in her cup, and eventually had sandwiches brought out to eat. By the time she had finished her story, it was late afternoon, and she felt wrung out.

"That was a good tale indeed!" Reithe declaimed. "The efforts of your party to defeat a goddess shall be recorded forever in song here in this world! But I suppose I have kept you long enough. Come, I will walk you to Brown Allree, and give you my token there."

"Thanks," Buffy said, smiling tiredly. She didn't know how she felt about the idea of a song about her battles against Glory, but she had won him over. She had been expecting at least some kind of fight when she had learned that she would need to secure their favor, but at least the first of the three was finished.

When they reached the horse Reithe nodded to her and then slowly transformed into a ram again. Reaching back, he grabbed a bit of his own wool with his teeth and tore it out, handing it to her. She was surprised at how soft it was, the material gently tickling her hand as she held it. "Good luck," the ram said with a deep voice. "My brothers may be more difficult than I to convince. Now, away with you!"

Buffy thanked him again and then climbed back onto the horse. It shot off immediately, and in a few heartbeats she had left the ram and his castle far behind. It wasn't long before the horse was back to its strange antics, this time running on its two back legs for a bit, then on its front two. Buffy simply clung to it like a limpet, her face set as it turned and began running backwards towards their destination.

In the end, much to the horse's disappointment, she neither made a noise, nor was thrown from her saddle, and so it finally came to stop as the sun was setting at another castle, this one on a cliff overlooking the sea. After a long moment Brown Allree shook its head to ring its bells. Dismounting, Buffy glared at the horse. "What did I say about the glue factory?"

The horse snorted at her, before tossing its mane challengingly.

"One of these days horsy... one of these days." Shaking her head, she turned and headed towards the castle. Its gates were made of wood as the other castle's had been, and it had carvings of fish jumping in and out of water all around it. Her knock was soon answered by a servant, this one fairly young, although she was dressed in a similar fashion to the one at the ram's castle.

"Hello," Buffy said, smiling at her.

"Hello, m'lady. What can I do for you this eve?"

"I need to talk to Rua's brother."

"Come in and sit then," she said, leading the way through the castle. "He should be back for the night any time."

Buffy noticed that this castle resembled the brother's strongly, although it was entirely decorated with carvings of fish rather than rams. She was soon seated at a table in a parlor, and served tea and cookies. She didn't have to wait for very long.

Buffy heard a strange thudding noise in the distance, which drew ever closer until the door burst open... revealing an enormous salmon. It flopped its way into the room, moving so vigorously that the sound of its wet body slapping the ground echoed off of the stone walls. Buffy could only stare in complete shock as the giant fish turned into a young looking red haired man with large black eyes and a huge grin. He was reasonably handsome, although his pink shirt was less than flattering.

She could accept the ram. Ram's have dangerous horns, and they... probably had some other qualities that she wasn't sure of that would make them interesting. But a salmon? The only reason why she even recognized its species was sheer luck, her insomnia one night having caused her to watch a documentary on aquaculture. But who in the world would want to be a were-salmon?

Recovering, she forced a smile on her face. "Hi. I'm Buffy."

"I'm Bradan. A pleasure to meet you, Buffy. So, what brings you here with Brown Allree as your guide?"

"Your brother Rua sent me here for help. I need the Sword of Light to save my friend."

"You've already been to my brother, Reithe, then? And secured his favor?"

"Yup," Buffy answered, nodding.

"While my brother may be content to give it away, I will only give you a chance to win it."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

Slowly he reached into his pocket, before pulling out a deck of playing cards with a dramatic flourish. "I offer my token as stakes in a card game. Tell me, lass, what do you have to gamble?"

"Um..." Buffy trailed off. "I dunno. I don't have much on me."

"That's alright. I see you have no ring, and I myself am unwed. Perhaps we could play for your hand?"

"What!?" she yelped. "Um... no thanks. You seem like a great fi-guy and all, but... um... sorry. Not interested. No offense."

He chuckled. "Come now! I have a castle to call my own, and servants to run it, and gold to fill its coffers. What more could a lady want?"

"Sorry. I'm a modern, self-actualized woman. Plus, I totally have my own castle. Well, my castle got blown up, but I have backups."

"Ah. Feminism. I miss the old days when you could buy a bride from her father for a sack of silver coins and everyone would walk away happy."

"Yeah. Sure. Never happening."

"Really? I have a sack of silver. If you won't marry me, how about anyone else in your family?"

"Sorry," Buffy said, smirking at the thought of how Dawn would react if she sold her in marriage. "I don't think Dawnie would like that much. Or, you know, at all. She's independent _and_ whiny. Not a good combo for the whole arranged marriage dealie."

"Ah," he sighed with what appeared to be genuine regret. "Too bad. Hmm. Is there anyone else you could pledge in marriage? What about this friend you are trying to rescue?"

Buffy almost burst into laughter at the thought. "Sorry. Xander's a guy. 'Sides, last time someone tried to claim his hand in marriage, they decided not to after figuring out who he was."

"Too bad. Still, we need to reach some accord. I am offering my token, which is not something given lightly. How about, if I cannot have your hand, I secure your service. Being the Slayer, if you agree to serve me for a year and a day, I would consider that a fair bet against my token."

"I can't leave Xander trapped that long!" she objected.

"You could rescue him, and then return to me to serve out your time, as long as you pledge your word to it."

"And this would be me as the Slayer, right? 'Cause just so you know, I'm not on the table in any marriage like capacity." She glared at Bradan with enough force to make him squirm uncomfortably. "Got that?"

"Yup. Just Slaying, and looking scary – which you certainly have down! Maybe some light office work."

She eyed him warily for a moment, before sighing in defeat. "Fine. I'll do it." She just hoped Xander appreciated this.

Xander leaned back against he wall of his cage, bored. He had been working around the clock directing an army, acting as the primary watcher for an entire horde of Slayers. While Buffy was the leader, he ran operations. It was a big responsibility, and one not conducive to excess sleep. On top of that, he hadn't slept as well since Renee had died. She hadn't been Anya... but for the first time since the fall of Sunnydale, he had met a woman who hadn't needed to be for him to be happy.

He looked up to see some people entering. When they came close enough, he realized that they were the banshees that had taken him. "Hello. How are you doing? Enjoying not being caged, I hope not."

Clionadh, the Banshee Queen, approached the bars. "You have an impertinent tongue, mortal. It will get you in trouble one day."

"That's me," he agreed, nodding. "You wouldn't believe the trouble that I get into."

"So I see that you are to be his jester," she said, appraisingly. "If I were in charge, I am certain that I could find other... duties for one such as you."

Xander swallowed hard. Demon magnet? Still got it. Unfortunately. "Wow. Too bad... um... that you aren't. In charge that is. Why aren't you, um, in charge? 'Cause hey, good sense of humor is great when running a kingdom of evil, but what else has Balor got going for him?"

She chuckled throatily. "I hope he doesn't hear you say that. Court jester or not, King Balor would not take kindly to any critique."

"Hey, no critiquing here. Long live King Balor. Anyone who appreciates the Snoopy dance is a good leader in my book. I mean, Buffy has never complained, so two for two."

"You are the oddest mortal I have ever encountered," she said, shaking her head.

"You'd probably be surprised, but I get that a lot," Xander said, nodding sagely. "So... what's a scary lady like you doing in a place like this?"

"Balor is power. With his alliance, I can accomplish many ends that I could not otherwise."

"Really? What can't you accomplish? I mean, taking me from right under Buffy's nose. Not many people can claim that... well, still be living to claim that anyway."

"Since we have retreated from the mortal world, things have been more difficult for my kind. Your army of Slayers doesn't make that any easier. Twilight has promised us a new age, where we will rule!"

"Twilight!" he sputtered. "How is he involved with this?"

"As I said," Clionadh answered with a glare. "He has promised that he will bring forth a new age, one where all things will change! The era of man's dominance will end, and the supernatural will rise to prominence once more. Those of us who have retreated from the mortal realm will be able to return in force, and the era of myths and legends will be reborn!"

"Wow," Xander said, blandly. "So... standard apocalypse then."

She glared. "I am no mere demon, to seek to open a Hellmouth, or some other triviality. I am Clionadh, Queen of the Banshees, goddess of Love and Beauty!"

"Huh," he said, keeping his face blank. He did not want to hear that they were up against a goddess. "You know, you're the second goddess I've met. I have to say, I am liking you way better than the last one."

"Oh?" she asked questioningly.

"Yup. Glorficus. Meeting her was the kind of good experience that wasn't one at all. Like a root canal... with no anesthesia... performed by a drunk fyarl demon... with a dull rock."

"Word of her death has spread even to this world, although the details are not known."

"What can I say? Big fight. Buffy had a hammer. Glory got hammered, and didn't stick around for the hangover." She stared blankly, and he huffed. "Fine. Not my best work. If you want the A material, I'd have to be your jester."

"As I said, I wouldn't need a... jester."

"Right," he said, trying his most charming smile. "Too bad you aren't in charge. Hey, if you're a goddess, why do you let him boss you around?"

"While I may be a goddess, he has power beyond anything that you can imagine."

"I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit," he paused, before deflating at her blank look. "Right. Not a Star Wars fan, huh? Still, it's gotta be tough, someone like you following a guy like Balor."

"What about you?" she asked. "You are not in charge of your army. Does your Slayer rule because of her power?"

Xander hesitated for a moment. "Its not just about the power. Yeah, she's the best Slayer. She's been doing this forever. But if she was gone, we wouldn't just stick Faith in charge. Buffy leads... 'cause she's Buffy. Even when we were in high school she was in charge. She might not always make the right decision, but she always tries. She's my captain... not just 'cause she can beat me to death with her little finger. I'd follow her into hell. Some of the Slayers _have. _And we'd all follow her again if she asked."

"She sounds like quite a leader."

"Yup. If you don't have a leader like that, you aren't gonna get anywhere. I mean, how long have you been working for Balor?"

"This is actually a fairly recent alliance. He has lain dead for many millennia until Twilight revived him."

"Huh," Xander said, surprised. "How'd he die? I mean, something so powerful gods follow him? Not something I'd expect to be making with the dead."

"There was a prophecy, which stated that his grandson would kill him. It eventually came to pass, although he was so powerful that even in death he did not cease to be. He simply waited until the time was correct for his return."

"If he just came back from being all dead, I wonder if he's up to full power yet? I mean, have you seen him do the whole evil eye thing?"

She looked at him consideringly. "No... I suppose I haven't. But finding out he can still kill with a look would be... unpleasant."

"As unpleasant as following him? I mean, if he's actually weak, then he can't really give you what you want, can he? Plus, gotta be embarrassing to be a goddess following some weakling around."

"You give me much to consider, mortal," Clionadh said thoughtfully. "Until we speak again."

When they left Xander sighed and leaned back against the bars again. "Causing infighting sounds like a good hobby. Hope Buffy's having this much fun."

**Authors' Notes**

The ram shape changer didn't have a name in the story I borrowed him from, The Weaver's Son and the Giant of the White Hill. I decided to call him Reithe, because that means ram in Irish Gaelic, as near as I can tell as a non-speaker.

The fish shape changer was also unnamed in the story, so I called him Bradan which is Gaelic, and for the same basic reason. In the story I took the brothers from, the salmon gave his bride's father a sack of silver to marry her.

The line Xander quoted from Star Wars was said by Han Solo. I don't own that either, obviously.


	6. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**Stacking the Deck**

"Go fish," Buffy said. She couldn't believe what she was doing. When the giant salmon came flopping into the castle, she knew that things were going to be strange, even before he transformed into a human. When he had bet the token she needed on a game of cards against her service for a year, she had assumed it would be in a game of poker. Instead, a year of her life had been bet against the only chance to rescue Xander... on a game of Go Fish. Only her life, she concluded with a resigned sigh.

"Got any seventeens?" she asked.

Of course, it wasn't a quick and simple game of Go Fish that she was involved in. She had noticed the deck was really thick while it had been shuffled, and she had soon realized that it was many times larger than a normal deck, with cards numbering up to thirty-three, which, with face cards included, made it a total of one hundred and forty-four cards, which had to be turned into sets of four in order to score. It made for a very lengthy game, and she almost needed her Slayer manual dexterity to hold her hand, which numbered in the dozens of cards.

Grumbling, the shapeshifting salmon handed her a card. "Got any twelves?"

Fortunately, she had one tentative advantage, although she couldn't be certain that she could actually rely upon it. Rua had told her a trick which was supposed to let her win any game of cards, and with what was at stake she felt no guilt about using it. The only question was whether it would really work. After all, Rua was Bradan's brother, which meant that his teaching her the trick, if it worked, was not likely to have been a coincidence. However, if he knew that she would need the Sword of Light so early in their meeting, it raised many questions about Rua's knowledge of events, and his likely stake in them.

"You know, when I first heard about you, I expected someone..." Bradan trailed off.

"Taller?" Buffy asked with a quelling expression.

"No! No, not at all! I mean, taller? Who would want to be taller. You are exactly the perfect height for any person, um..."

Buffy looked amused. "Alright. Not taller."

"Right," he said, nodding firmly. "Not taller. Just..."

"Go on," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure that there is any answer that I can give that won't end badly for me."

"Smart," she said, smirking.

"You are the scariest woman I have ever seen. Are you sure you won't marry me?"

"A world of no... no offense."

"And you have a sister, but she isn't available?" he asked sadly.

"Well..." Buffy started, before trailing off. Dawn had been driving her up the wall ever since she had gotten cursed in college. She had first transformed into a giant, and now she was a centaur. Regardless of her form, however, the sisters had done nothing but fight ever since Dawn had arrived in Scotland. Xander thought that she needed to spend more time with her sister, but it was hard, when she had so many other things to do, things which didn't hurt so much as the things her sister said... especially the things that Buffy knew she deserved.

Perhaps it was time she got a little payback, she pondered evilly.

"She's currently a centaur, 'cause of this curse her ex gave her. He was a thricewise."

"Ah," Bradan said, nodding sagely. "Thricewise have strong magic, but they are rarely malicious. She probably did something that truly angered him."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "She's good at that."

"Usually the curses of a thricewise have some simple method of ending them," he continued. "They are generally used to teach a lesson, not simply to inflict vengeance."

"That's good to know," Buffy said thoughtfully. "Still, she's not really in a datable form right now. But getting cursed by you're ex generally means no backsies on the whole breaking up thingy..."

His eyes lit up. "So what about two sacks of silver..."

"Still no. She's my little sister, and I'm not selling her, no matter _what_ I said back in middle school. 'Sides, she's way too young to marry."

"Hmm. Then... what about a date? How much silver would that cost?"

Buffy's lips twitched. "Yeah, thing to keep in mind: don't mention, ever, paying a woman for a date. Sends all kinds of bad messages."

Bradan blushed pink. "Um... n-not like that! I just mean, oh, well, you are her family..."

"Yup."

"Then, I would like permission to court her."

Buffy smirked. This, she decided, was going to be _funny_. Was she being too mean to Dawn? Nah. "Like I said, she picks her own dates. So long as a few ground rules are set."

"Ground rules?"

"Yup. No mojoing her, or cursing her, or coercing her, or any other bad '-ing' her. Also, you treat her like a modern lady, so no funny business, or kidnapping her, or taking her away to strange lands. And if she says no to anything, she means no! And if she doesn't say yes, that also mean no! So no being all creepy stalker."

He nodded earnestly. "I will have much to learn, but I will try my best."

"Good. Then you have my permission to ask her on a date... just a date! And any funny business, and well... I beat a hell god into the dirt to protect her. Now I've got an army. That clear?"

He gulped. "Crystal."

She beamed at him. "Coolness. Also, I win!"

He gaped at the table, shocked that she had won the game. "You are good at this! Also, quite distracting."

She shrugged. "Hey, important stuff on the line. Slayers always go for the win, no matter how cheap."

"It has gotten quite late though, but if I am to court your sister, then I shall extend my hospitality to you. One of my servants can show you to a room for the night."

Buffy started to object, before yawning. Looking at the huge white moon outside of the window, she gave in. "Thanks. I'm beat. See ya' in the morning."

"Goodnight, Buffy. Sleep well."

She was led quickly through fish themed hallways until she reached a small bedroom. It had an open window, with a table with a pitcher of water and a large bowl for washing sitting upon it. Nearby was a small chamber pot, which Buffy tried her best to put out of her mind until morning. The main feature of the room, however, was the large feather bed, which she quickly collapsed in.

She had thought that the grass outside had been nearly heavenly to sleep on. Now, knowing that Xander was safe, if in need of retrieval, and with a firm plan of action, the cushy mattress she was laying on lulled her almost immediately to sleep. She didn't wake until well after the rising of the sun the next morning, completely rested and ready to save Xander.

She spent some time carefully preparing for the day. She had no clothing to change into, and nothing to bathe with save for a sponge bath using cold water from the table. Fortunately her utility belt of important items included deodorant, toothpaste, and a hairbrush, and she was able to make herself at least look acceptable for field work.

When she left her room she was quickly found by a servant, and was soon given a large bowl of honey sweetened oatmeal to eat. She ate rapidly, and by the time she was done she heard the distinctive flopping sound of Bradan's approach. "You have eaten and rested?"

"Yup," Buffy said brightly. "Slept, fed, and readied to knock 'em dead."

"Here," he said, shaking a fin and tossing a large portion of it to her. "This is my token. Good luck, and I will see you again!"

"Thanks," she said, starting to turn before pausing. "Oh yeah, if you do anything to hurt my sister... I'll put you in a blender and use the chunks to feed piranas."

Buffy left the frightened shape changer behind and exited the castle. She was soon strolling across the grass, climbing the grassy hills until she reached Brown Allree. "So, horsy, did you enjoy hangin' out here all night?"

The horse glared at her.

"Well, what'd ya expect?" she groused. "Maybe next time you won't be so annoying!"

It gave her a challenging look.

Buffy sighed. "Remember: two words. Glue. Factory."

She climbed onto its back, holding on tightly as the horse sped off. It took off towards a dense forest, and was soon weaving between trees faster than a sports car. She tensed as she saw a gorge ahead, the horse not slowing down even slightly. When it reached the edge it simply jumped, casually sailing over the hundred foot gap and landing on a tree limb, hopping agin and beginning to travel through the forest by jumping from one precarious perch after another at great speed, until finally they burst back out into the open.

Running across a meadow, the magical horse ran directly towards a steep incline, hopping from ledge to ledge as it climbed up to a flat cliff top dominated by a large castle. Brown Allree stopped on a dime, before shaking its head, ringing the bells. Buffy hopped down, moving past the fairy mount with a glare for its unrepentant look.

The castle resembled those of the owner's two brothers, with decorations and embellishments depicting eagles in flight everywhere. She soon found herself ensconced in the sitting room, sipping tea and waiting for the last brother to arrive. She didn't have to sit for long, however, as a great rushing sound preceded the entrance of an eagle so large that even without its wings spread it could scarcely move down the hallways.

After a long moment the giant eagle slowly transformed into tall, thin man with wild brown hair and wary eyes. He smirked at her as he sat down, pouring himself tea as he did. "Well now, having come to me on my brother's horse, I suspect you have an interesting cause that has brought you to my doorstep."

"Yup," she said, nodding. "I need the Sword of Light to save my friend from a giant."

He nodded thoughtfully. "A giant is a dangerous foe, even for one so armed. Tell me, are you confident you can win such a battle?"

"Yes," she said firmly, without any hesitation. "I'm Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. The soon to be dead giant has my friend. That's all anyone needs to know."

"I am Iolar. I believe you are strong enough for my task. Tell me, do you think you can slay a dullahan?"

Her eyes lit up in anticipation. "Ooh, I've been wanting another crack at one! Last time I met one I stuck a knife in its heart and it just hit me back."

Iolar nodded. "They are difficult to kill. To do the job, you must remove its heart with a golden knife. All other wounds will have little effect."

"So," Buffy said, giving her most charming smile. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare golden knife lying around, would you?"

A servant entered, carrying a sheathed knife, which he gave to her. Drawing it, she saw that it was indeed golden, although it was awkwardly balanced and had a very poor edge, which wasn't surprising given the softness of the metal. "That'll do," she said smiling fiercely. "So, any hints on where to go dulla-hunting?"

"Yes," he said. "Dullahan are very rare, and few of them attract attention to themselves. This one, however, has been traveling to Dun Bhaloir often of late, and if he follows his normal pattern, he will be travelling along the trails near that ruin at this time."

Buffy nodded. "Why, though?"

"What do you mean?" Iolar asked.

"Why do you want to kill this full-o'-ham. I mean, not to complain or anything, 'cause if this is the one I'm thinkin' of, I have my own reasons to want to meet him in a dark alley. But why do you want me to get my slay on?"

"Dullahan serve at times as the herald of death. While mortals have good cause to fear them in this aspect, they are only acting as part of the natural order. Some, however, do not simply work in that capacity. Some take it upon themselves to spread misery, either alone or in the service of others.

"This dullahan has joined with the Banshee Queen. He is particularly cruel and sadistic, and few would mourn his passing. While he has never done me wrong himself, he is one that must be dealt with, and as dullahan are so difficult to kill, it will make a good test of your valor."

"Well, well," Buffy said, grinning fiercely. "In league with Miss Kidnappy the Banshee Queen? Kills people in other bad bad ways? You sure this task isn't a present? 'Cause this is my life's work, not something I'd be forced to do."

"Good," Iolar said, nodding. "I will look forward to watching your efforts from afar. When you finish the job, I will come and give you my token for the return of my knife."

Buffy headed back to her horse almost with a skip in her step. She had been hoping for a rematch, and now she even had a good reason to get it. Now, she just needed to save Xander, and if she could only pick up the spare with the banshees while she was at it... well, she had been a good little Slayer lately.

Xander finished doing another rendition of the Snoopy dance for the Fomori King, who had let Xander out of his cage before sitting on his throne. The King banged his fist and roared in appreciation. "Good, jester. It is a fine dance."

"Yup. Hey, here's a crazy thought. If I'm your court jester... doesn't that require, I dunno, a court of some kind?"

"Yes. My court is scattered. Many fell in the wars. Many others now hide." He paused. "They will soon return."

"Hey, that's great. But what about the Banshee Queen?"

"Clionadh. What about her."

"Well, she's part of your court right?"

"Yes. She did not serve me before. She came to me of late. Now she serves."

"It's just... she says she's a god. I dunno 'bout you, but most gods don't like to serve under others."

"I am the King of the Fomori. My people ruled before the gods came. We are strong. I am strongest. Many gods have served me. Many gods will serve me." Balor paused. "Also, cyclops jesters."

"But didn't you have your whole, you know, court back then? 'Cause you're really awesome, don't get me wrong, I bet you could smite with the best of them. Better than the best of them. But now it's just you and me... and I'm in a cage. Couldn't she sneak up on you and, I dunno, go all godly on you and hurt you by surprise?"

Balor roared in outrage. "I am strong. I have an eye in the back of my head. None may sneak up on me!"

"Of course, of course! I mean, I'm not too bright, and I knew right off that there was no way to sneak up on you. I mean, sneak up on Balor? Crazy talk. It's so obviously a dumb plan, though, that there's no way your enemies would try it."

"Yes! I am too strong to be surprised."

"Exactly! And that means you're vulnerable."

Balor's inhuman face scrunched up with confusion. "How can being strong make me vulnerable?"

"'Cause you're so strong, that anyone that tries to attack you will be completely prepared. Especially a god. I mean, if Clionadh showed up with her people, and tried to ambush you, they'd do it right out in the open where you'd least expect it. Just BAM! Ambush."

"That makes sense..."

"Yup. It's just, the thing is..."

The giant leaned forward on his throne, looking intently at Xander with its nearly closed eye. "Yes?"

"She didn't say anything directly, but it's just... some of the things she said... they made me worry. She's only working with you for power... and she thinks you aren't as strong as you were."

"What!" Balor roared. "I am strong!"

"Right! Really strong. I mean, its really obvious. But she... well, I don't think she's so convinced. She was definitely thinking about whether or not you were really still strong."

Balor took a long sniff of the air for a moment. "I smell no lie on you."

Xander nearly sighed in relief as he realized that he had been wise to stick to half truths and manipulation, rather than plain lying to the powerful being about anything important. "Now, I'm not saying she's gonna try anything, but you might wanna keep your eye out. 'Cause if she does make a move, knowing you're strong and all? She'll come right at you. If you think she's going for it... you should probably hit first, you know, just in case she's ready for you."

The giant sat back for a long moment, considering. "You give good council, jester. I will think on this." He paused for a long moment. "I will also get you a hat. With bells."

Xander sputtered in shock. "W-what?"

"Jesters need funny hats. You are a good jester. You need a good funny hat." He paused again. "With bells."

"Thanks," Xander said with a sickly smile. "That sounds... great. Try to find something that, you know, goes with the collar. Buffy's been trying to teach me to accessorize since high school."

**Author's Notes**

I decided on Go Fish because really, what else would you play with a shapeshifting salmon? However, two player Go Fish would be really fast and dull, so I decided on a weird deck to spice things up. That was all from my febrile imagination.

The final brother, eagle, also isn't named in the orignal stories. Iolar is, to my best research, the gaelic word for eagle.

I couldn't find any myth where a dullahan was defeated, and its only weakness seems to be showing it gold. I just made up a method of slaying it from that. I mean, there probably should be a good reason for it to be afraid of gold, right?


	7. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**Setting the Stage**

As always Brown Allree made incredible time, running across all terrains faster than any car Buffy had ever ridden in. Also, as always, it did its best to frighten its rider into either falling off or making a sound, either of which would be, in her opinion, of the bad. She wasn't sure what the consequences for such an act would be, but Rua had warned her against it, and so she really didn't want to find out.

Eventually she noticed a black smudge ahead against the green grass, and as they closed she soon recognized it as the black wood and human bone wagon driven by the dullahan. The black garbed creature sat driving his six headless horse team using his human spine whip, while his head was tucked under his right arm. Studying it carefully, she felt reasonably confident that this was the same enemy who had attacked her and Xander with the Banshee Queen.

When they drew close enough Buffy dove from her horse, wrapping her arms around the dullahan and sending them both flying from the wagon to the earth. Bouncing and tumbling, Buffy twisted her body as she fell until she ended up sitting astride her headless foe. She reached to her back, preparing to draw the golden knife, when he thrust his body upwards, bucking her off for just long enough for him to roll free.

Buffy kipped up to her feet, jumping backwards as the dullahan kicked out at her as he climbed to his own feet. Before she could move in for an attack, he lashed out with his spine whip, the end speeding invisibly towards her face. Buffy raised her arms in front of her, grunting as blood began to flow from the deep cut the cruel weapon made. She tried to move in to attack, but she was forced back as he began lashing again and again, his arm a blur as the whip opened a half dozen wounds before she could retreat beyond its reach.

Buffy circled widely, looking for a better approach, when she noticed the headless horse team roaring down on her. Buffy jumped and rolled as the impossibly fast horses tried to trample her, barely getting past the bone spoked wheels before she was run over. Rolling immediately to her feet, she grunted as the dullahan's whip laid her back open before she could finish standing.

She dodged back out of his reach, as he carefully began to circle her, cracking the whip whenever she tried to make a move as his wagon circled around for another pass. Buffy knew her current strategy wasn't working, but she wasn't sure what she could do to break the current stalemate. Her normal weapons would do little more than serve as the barest inconvenience to the creature, as the iron knife she had imbedded in his heart during their last encounter could have attested. The horse team also added a significant complication to the fight, which combined with the speed of his whip kept her well outside of attack range.

Slowly she surveyed the field, before smirking as inspiration struck. "You know, I've been looking forward to round two, 'cause last time? I totally had you, except you had the whole 'I'm immune to everything you can do' thing going for you; which: totally unfair. If you weren't such a cheat, you'd be nothing."

The head tucked under her arm snarled at her, and Buffy moved quickly back and to the side as he advanced on her. When she was in position she drew a stake from her belt and threw it at him, the wooden weapon sinking into his whip shoulder as she suddenly charged forward.

The weapon didn't slow him down for long, his whip almost immediately lashing out at her as she dove forward into a tumble, coming to her feet gripping a heavy branch she had seen earlier, having picked it up from the ground as she rolled. Bringing it up as she moved, she fended off two more whip strikes before the branch shattered from a third, but by then she was in close enough to fight.

Buffy led with a strong right to the dullahan's solar plexus, causing it to bend over slightly from the strength of the hit. She was too close for him to properly employ the whip, so he instead swung it down hard, seeking to smash her head in with the handle. Buffy stepped even closer as he did, however, robbing his move of its power as she grabbed his shoulders and sent him to the ground with a hip throw.

Even as he touched the dirt she planted a knee on his wrist and began to pummel him with her fists, over and over again striking every joint and vital spot she could find or guess at on his body. He thrashed for a moment, before releasing his head to swing his right arm at her as a prone haymaker. She had been waiting for that move, however, and was already bending herself backwards as he began to swing, the fist passing safely above her body.

Leaning back up, Buffy smoothly came to her feet, standing on his wrist with one foot as she used the other to punt his head as hard as she could. It deformed unpleasantly around her toes as she made contact, the blow creating a soggy thumping sound like smashing a rotten pumpkin as the shrilly screaming head flew into the trees. The dullahan reacted by throwing her hard, the arm now only pinned by her body weight and not her strength, which he easily overcame.

Buffy flew through the air, tossed a dozen feet by the powerful creature. Before she reached the ground she flipped and gained control of her flight, landing lightly on her feet. As she touched the dirt, however, her eyes widened as she heard the wagon coming up behind her.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as she tried to dodge again, her eyes wide as she looked over her shoulder at the enemy that she had forgotten during her grappling. The wagon team with its six headless horses was bearing down on her, and for just a moment she was certain that she was doomed. Then, with a flicker of barely perceptible motion, Brown Allree appeared between Buffy and her attackers.

The fairy horse reared up on its hind legs, kicking its hooves at the incoming steeds. Despite being headless they obviously were aware of their surroundings, and they apparently had no interest in tangling with Brow Allree, as they diverted their course at the last moment, nearly tipping over in the process. The horse returned its legs to the ground, snorting contemptuously at the wagon team as they ran by.

"Thanks," Buffy said, smiling at the horse. "You're not so bad after all."

It threw her a look full of impossibly ruffled dignity.

Buffy shook her head, before reaching behind her back to draw her golden knife. Looking at the dullahan, she carefully circled around it, her feet completely silent as she stalked her prey. Coming up from behind, she struck its wrist hard with a powerful kick, knocking the whip away before it could react. She ducked under its reply, which took the form of a spinning back fist, before she swept its feet and jumped on top of it once more.

Before it could defend itself, Buffy raised the knife and stabbed it just above the heart. The soft weapon slid into the dullahan's flesh as though it were butter, easily cutting deeply as she carved out the heart. Reaching in with her free hand, she grimaced as she gripped the bloody, still beating organ with her bare skin, squeezing it tightly as she pulled it free. It was large and black, and immediately stopped pumping when she pulled it from the creature's chest. After a long moment the monster began to deflate, until soon she was sitting on top of the empty clothing of the dullahan, while holding a lump of coal in her sooty fist.

Buffy stood for a moment, catching her breath, before grinning at her horse, which strutted over to her, its nose high in the air. "Alright, I admit it. You were awesome. I take back all the bad stuff I said about you. Even half the stuff I just thought."

Buffy reached out and began to pet Brown Allree, its incredibly smug look turning into one of contentment as she scratched its ears. Before she could say anything else, however, she froze, reaching for a knife as a large shadow suddenly passed over them.

Iolar slowly circled downward in eagle form, its wingspan as large as an airplane as it gracefully made its descent. Landing in front of her, the fierce eagle spent a long moment examining the remains of the dullahan before turning its attention back to Buffy. "Excellent. You have exceeded all of my expectations."

"That's me. Expectation buster."

Slowly it reached back its beak and plucked one of its smaller feathers, although it was still nearly a foot long. Offering it to her, it then took the golden knife and placed it among its feathers. "You have done well," Iolar said. "And now that you have gained my token, you have all three."

"Yup!" she said grinning. "'Course, I'm still without clueage what they're for."

The eagle nodded its head. "They each hold a fragment of our power. When you hold one in your hand and concentrate upon it, you are able to channel the power of our animal into yourself, changing your form. In order to retrieve the Claohm Solais, you will need all three forms."

"Not permanent though, right? 'Cause I'm not too fond of flying. It makes me nauseous. And last time I shape shifted I was turned into a rat and, well, it really was all kinds of not fun."

The eagle chuckled. "Do not worry, the magics will only last until you will the transformation to cease."

"Coolness."

"Indeed. Now then, Brown Allree should be able to guide you to where you need to be to reach the Sword of Light. Remember to give the tokens to my brother, along with the blade, when you are finished with them! Good luck!"

Without another word the eagle took to the air, flying away quickly into the distance.

"Well, that wasn't too bad. So, ready to get the sword?"

Brown Allree gave a regal nod, and Buffy then climbed onto its back. It immediately took off, running at great speed until they reached the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The horse didn't even slow down, simply jumping off of the ledge to the water below. Buffy held on tightly, expecting to splash down into the water, but instead the horse landed on the surface and ran on top of the ocean as though its waves were solid ground.

After over an hour of running along the surface of the sea Buffy saw land ahead. Brown Allree leapt up onto the high ground of the island in a single great bound, running over meadows and through trees until finally they stopped in a small valley.

At the center of the valley were nine tall hazel trees, all growing around a clear spring. When the horse jangled its bells Buffy dismounted. Giving the animal a nod (which it answered with a superior one of its own), she walked over to the pool. Its water was clear, and she could see several large spotted salmon swimming in its depths. Looking around, she was at a loss for what to do next.

Turning to her horse, she frowned. "What's the what? Its a pretty pond, and some nice fishies, but not much in the way of magic swords. Any hints?"

The horse considered for a moment, before nodding towards the water.

"In the lake?" Buffy asked, looking into the pool after the animal nodded. Thinking for a moment, she finally reached into a pocket and pulled out the partial fin that served as the salmon shape changer's token. "The things I do for friends," she said, sighing.

Xander fidgeted with his hat. It jingled as he adjusted it, provoking a sigh. Normally Xander wouldn't be overly concerned with what he was wearing – he was a man who had once shamelessly gone with the hawaiian shirt look, and more recently wore an eye patch without batting a, well, eye. The iron collar was really pushing it, however, but it was the hat that was just too far. A bright purple and red striped jesters hat, with long dangling pieces of cloth with bells on the end covered his head, and he was doing all that he could not to pout about it.

He couldn't wait until Buffy showed up and slayed the giant. He only wished that he had thought to bring popcorn. Suddenly he brightened up as he noticed the banshees entering the hall. Xander smiled, knowing that a distraction, such as scheming against his very arrogant enemies, was exactly what he needed. Everyone should have a hobby, after all, he decided.

"Tell me, jester," Clionadh ordered arrogantly. "Have you seen Balor perform any deeds of strength or power?"

"Like what?" Xander asked curiously.

"Balor's gaze can instantly kill anything he looks fully upon. Has he killed anyone that way?"

"Uh... no" Xander said. "I think I'd remember something like that."

"Not even a little someone? Say a short person, or a child?"

"Nope."

"What about an animal? Even a rat? Or a fly?"

"No," he said shaking his head. "No death gaze."

"That is promising. Has he done anything else?"

"Not really. Put a collar on me, ordered me to dance, tell jokes, that sorta thing. You know: be jesterly."

"I suppose if he hasn't needed his power, then he would not have displayed it."

"Maybe. But if he was so powerful, shouldn't he, I dunno, be rebuilding that court of his? I mean, besides you he has a grand to total of no followers. Cordy had more people worshipping her than that in kindergarten."

She looked away thoughtfully. "Even if he is weakened from his resurrection, he is still a dangerous opponent."

"Yeah," Xander said, smiling encouragingly. "I'm sure he is, but I mean, come on – you're a goddess. If you can't beat someone, who can? Last goddess I met, she was all about the smiting and the looking down on us mere mortals and the being all powerful. I mean, maybe my standards for being a god are a bit high, but..."

"No! I am a goddess. I may not be as strong as I once was, long ago during past ages long gone, but I am still powerful!"

"Exactly! And this Balor, he's died before even, right? So its not like he's unkillable."

"There is truth in what you say... but if he does have his full power, then even I cannot long survive his gaze."

"Well," Xander said thoughtfully. "Then you just need to take him by surprise. Beat him before he can look at you."

"He has an eye in the back of his head," Clionadh said, shaking her head regretfully. "He may not be the most intelligent of creatures, but he is not easily ambushed."

Xander barely refrained from rolling his eyes at that comment. "Yeah, really powerful stuff often is a bit dim. Anyway, if I were planning the attack, I would hit him when he's distracted. You know, the ol' knife to the back, just with something more effective than a knife to a giant... and not the back 'cause, you know, eye in the back of the head. So, not a knife in the back. More like a death blow to the side."

"Yes, that would be for the best. But he is paranoid, and seems to have grown more so of late. He would never ignore me."

"Ah! Then its a good thing you're discussing this with the Xan-man. 'Cause I have just the plan. When I do my thing for him, he gets pretty distracted. You just need to be here when I'm putting on a show, and then BAM. Take him down."

"You would do such a thing? Why?"

"Why? Look at this," Xander said, rubbing his collar. "Collar! Like a dog. Plus, stupid hat. I mean, wouldn't you want revenge for the hat? It has bells. I jingle when I move."

She smiled. "Ah, vengeance. That I understand very well. If I kill him, I certainly wouldn't make you my jester. I would find... more appropriate duties."

He gave her his best charming look. As much as he hated being a demon magnet, from time to time it did come in handy. "All the more reason to choose your side! Be here after dinner, and I'll be doing a show. When I do this," he waved his arm slightly, "you'll know he's distracted. Then you do your thing, and I can get out of this thing."

"We have an accord," she said before grabbing him and pulling him to her, planting a firm kiss on his lips. He thought about resisting for a moment, especially when he realized that her lips were cold. Like a vampire's lips. Or a corpse's. Fortunately, she mistook his shudder of revulsion for something else. "See you soon."

"Yeah," he said weakly. The minute I get to be James Bond, and its just creepy instead of fun, he thought morosely.

How much longer would it take Buffy to arrive, he wondered.

**Author's Notes**

As I said last chapter, I couldn't find any method in the source material to kill a dullahan, so I made one up, using the fact that it's afraid of gold as inspiration for the method.

I changed the effects of the tokens from those in the story I borrowed them from, The Weaver's Son and the Giant of the White Hill. In the original material, they allowed the main character to summon 'all the animals of the world' to help, but I thought shapeshifting was more interesting. Also, funnier, which is important for the Buffyverse.

The pool of water she visits is intentionally based upon the various celtic Wells of Wisdom, which in some accounts were springs with nine hazel trees growing around them. If you ate the salmon swimming within, you would gain knowledge and poetic inspiration. Most famously this was done by Fionn Mac Cumhail, although many stories use the 'salmon of wisdom'. Did I ever mention that mythology is weird? But hey, talk about brain food.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**The Sword of Light**

Buffy stood beside the pool of water, gripping the salmon fin in her hands as she focused on it. When just looking at the fin didn't do the job, she began to slow her breathing, concentrating all of her consciousness solely on the fin she held in her hands. She had never had much aptitude for magic, and while Giles had taught her how to meditate quite successfully many years before, she had never really been a fan of doing it. Her diligence eventually paid off though, as her efforts activated the token.

The first thing that she felt was a strange tickling sensation, like feathers were being rubbed all over her body. Warmth spread from her hands, until she was wrapped in an invisible cocoon of soothing energies. Like stretching her body into a new yoga position she felt herself contorting strangely, her muscles tensing and relaxing as she slowly shifted. Finally, the sensations faded, and Buffy realized that she couldn't breath.

She was lying flat on the ground, and she immediately noticed that she had no arms, or hands, or eyelids. Trying to breath revealed her lack of lungs, and trying to move showed her lack of legs. The only thing that she could do was flex her body, and as she did so she bounced up and down on the ground. Flopping towards the water, she saw her reflexion just before she broke the surface.

She had done it. The token had worked as advertised, and she had transformed into a salmon. Hitting the water, she no longer felt as though she needed to breath, although she still couldn't actually do so. Carefully she flexed her body, slowly relearning where her muscles were as instinct kicked in, allowing her to master swimming in a matter of moments.

She wasn't sure what to make of her transformation. Having control over the change was far better than the time she had spent as a rat in high school, but she still found it disconcerting to abandon her human form. The only good thing, she decided, was that as a fish she could go places she never could as a human. She hadn't been overly fond of swimming ever since she had drowned, but being a natural part of the water was a different experience entirely.

Finally getting back on task, Buffy began to search the bottom of the pool, looking for anything of interest. Unfortunately she found little save mud, hazelnuts, and branches. She was just beginning to wonder if she had taken the wrong course of action when one of the spotted salmon swam up to her.

"Hello, madam," the fish said with a refined accent. "How does this fine day greet you?"

If Buffy had been able to blink she would have. "Um... I'm trying to find the Sword of Light."

"Ah, then you have come to the correct place," the salmon answered with a look of fishy satisfaction. "You need to pass though the source of the spring. It will take you to an underground river, which you shall have to traverse, before reaching another pool similar to this one. From there you will be able to see a castle, wherein the Claiomh Solais rests, guarded at all times by the wary Fir Bolg."

"Thanks," Buffy said brightly. She still wasn't sure how she was communicating, since she certainly wasn't speaking out loud. She also wasn't sure she wanted to know how a fish knew all of that, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Buffy followed the other salmon until she reached a dark crack at the bottom of the pond. She thanked the other fish and then swam into it, barely able to move as it was only slightly larger than her own body, and her undulating swimming motion caused her tail to slap against the walls of the crack. Slowly she descended into the darkness, until the passage widened and she was able to move freely.

The open space she was in had a notable current, and Buffy began to swim upstream, slowly leaving the tiny amount of light streaming through the crack far behind. She swam in pitch darkness for a very long time, her Slayer enhanced fish muscles propelling her rapidly though the underground river until she saw a dim glow ahead. When she reached it she realized that she was seeing another small crack leading to the surface, and so she began to swim upwards into the light.

She emerged into another pond, and she quickly swam up and out of the water, jumping onto dry ground and flopping a bit until she was away from the pond. Concentrating, she realized that she could still feel the token, and that the more she focused on it the more she could feel it. Suddenly opening her eyes with a gasp, she looked down in surprise, realizing that she was lying on her side next to the pond, holding the fin in her hand.

Buffy jumped to her feet, taking in her surroundings, relaxing as she realized that she was in another empty hazel grove. It was almost identical to the one that she had started in, although the nine trees were arranged differently. Reassured that she was alone, she spent a couple of minutes carefully examining every inch of her body until she was convinced that she was completely human again. Putting away the token with a sigh of relief, she slowly began to explore the area.

Climbing a rise, Buffy soon saw a brown walled fortress standing on a hill in the distance. Unfortunately, between her and the castle was a large gorge, which sharply dropped off hundreds of feet to scattered, broken rocks with a small river running running along the bottom. Looking around, she realized that there was no obvious way to cross the gap. Sighing, she pulled out her eagle feather.

She hadn't enjoyed her experience flying with Willow, although doing so under her own power rather than simply dangling from her friend was likely to improve the experience. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Buffy repeated the process which she had used to turn into a fish, and soon she felt the power changing her form once more. When it was over she found her eyes were still closed, unlike her experience as a fish, and so she slowly opened them, bracing herself for what she might find.

Looking over her new body, she saw that she was a large bird with a broad wingspan and powerful body. Looking back towards the castle in the distance, she was shocked at how well she was now able to see it, her vision seemingly zooming in to allow better observation. She could tell that it had three sets of brown walls, with a brown keep at the center. A number of extremely tall people stood guard on the walls, all of them garbed in animal furs and holding bows and arrows.

Buffy flexed her broad wings several times, trying to get a feel for them. Moving them was like moving her arms, although they behaved somewhat differently. While instinct taught her how to operate her wings, the differences from how her body had previously moved still left her disconcerted. Eventually she felt prepared, however, and with a great burst she took off into the air.

Flying, no matter how naturally the motions came to her, was still extremely difficult. She barely flew a few feet before finding herself landing again, unable to maintain her altitude. Trying again she did better, travelling some distance before landing once more. Finally, her heart pouding with a combination of fear and excitement, Buffy luanched herself into the air, circling above the pond until she was high up, and then slowly heading towards the castle.

From the air she could see that the space between the three walls was fairly narrow, small enough for her to jump from one to the next with her Slayer strength if she felt the need. She noticed that the guards that she had seen were spaced evenly along the outer wall, but otherwise there were few people. The only person outside of the walls was a bored looking shepherd guarding a large flock of sheep near a copse of trees.

Buffy slowly circled lower, deciding to start her search for the sword by flying through one of the large windows into an empty room of the keep. Before she got too close, however, she was forced to suddenly dodge as an arrow the size of a spear flew past her almost too fast to see. Her dodge cost her momentum, which brought her slightly lower as she used her Slayer enhanced wing muscles to regain her speed.

The next several minutes were completely frantic as Buffy did everything that she could to escape from the castle's immediate airspace. Having been shot at by the first guard, the others noticed her and began firing as well. The enormous arrows were fired with incredible power and accuracy, and she barely avoided being torn to pieces on many occasions before she made it to a safe distance.

Circling high overhead, Buffy considered her options. Approaching as an eagle was obviously out, and a frontal assault, if it were even possible, wasn't a possible tactic since she had promised Rua not to shed any blood here while taking the sword. She could try to negotiate, but he had said they would never willingly part with it, a positon which she could certainly understand; nothing could convince her to relinquish the Scythe, and the sword she sought sounded nearly as impressive.

Looking around the area, she saw the trail that Rua had mentioned, leading down almost two miles to the head of the gorge, where a river poured into it, forming a waterfall. From her position she could see no sign of the 'Bridge of Two Hairs', but since it was something no giant was supposed to be able to cross (and the inhabitants of the castle were large enough to be giants) she decided that it was still something to keep in mind. The only other thing that she saw in the area was the flock of sheep.

As she circled again inspiration suddenly struck. Winging away from the castle she then flew close to the ground, staying out of sight from the walls until she finally landed in the copse of trees near the sheep. Carefully staying hidden, she concentrated on the token in her hand again, until a moment later she opened her eyes and saw that she was once more in human form. She put away the feather and carefully checked herself over, before pulling out the handful of wool that Reithe had given her.

Buffy held the wool in her hand and concentrated, until she felt herself shift once again. Steeling herself, she slowly opened her eyes, taking in her new form. She stood on four legs, and her body was covered in fluffy white wool. She stood there for a long moment, just staring at what she could see of herself.

She was a sheep. On some intellectual level she had known that rams were male sheep... but to actually transform into a sheep was something else entirely. She was... fluffy. Borderline cuddly. And completely mortified. Being a sheep was even more humiliating than being turned into a rat, she decided vaguely as she brought herself back under control. She had never been so glad not to have her friends with her, as there was no way she would ever live this down if they knew. Which, she decided fiercely, they never _ever _would.

Buffy practiced her four legged gait while still among the trees, before cautiously moving to join the rest of the flock. None of the sheep seemed surprised to see her, or even particularly interested in her, and so she easily blended in. After a few minutes the shepherd began to drive them back towards the castle gates.

Looking up at the shepherd as they moved, she was amazed at how big he was. While much smaller than her sister's giant form had been, he still stood more than two stories tall, as did all of the guards that she could see on the walls. While she had known on some level that they were quite tall while she had been in eagle form, it was something else entirely to see them from her low to the ground, four legged perspective.

The castle gates opened without any fuss, and Buffy followed the flock as they were slowly driven past all three walls to the inner courtyard. Once inside they were put in a large holding pen in the corner of the area, and left to their own devices. Carefully scoping out the courtyard, Buffy was glad to see that there weren't many giants around, but unfortunately there was even less in the way of cover. With how wary the guards had been of even a bird circling them, she knew that she would need to wait a couple of more hours until nightfall to transform back into a human to try to sneak into the keep.

Eventually the sun set, and darkness descended, lit only by the stars twinkling above. Carefully, Buffy looked around the area, making sure that no one was looking, before easing into the middle of a cluster of sheep. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, and once more slipped into human form. Quickly stuffing the wool back into a pocket, she crouched low and moved swiftly towards the side door to the keep.

Slipping inside the partially open door, Buffy took in her surroundings. Everything was built at a grand scale, fitting for the keep's two story inhabitants. The room that she was in appeared to be some kind of kitchen, with a roaring fire and a huge stack of peat blocks sitting beside it. Poking around, she found huge barrels of whisky in a pantry, which gave her an idea for her escape.

She took one last look around the kitchen, before deciding that it was an unlikely hiding place for a magical sword. Moving without single sound, she began her search of the rest of the building. Exploring methodically, she paused only to hide behind tapestries and under furnishings whenever the bone rattling footsteps of the giants came close. Before long she had cleared the ground floor, after which she headed up to the second, where she finally found her objective.

Mounted on the wall was a longsword with a broad blade just over two and a half feet in length, and with a golden, cross shaped hilt. The wrapping of the grip was of black leather, and the pommel had a diamond which glowed white, illuminating the otherwise unlit chamber. Creeping across the room, Buffy scaled the enormous throne it hung above, before carefully reaching out a hand for the magical weapon.

Her fingers tingled when she touched it, the hair on her arms standing on end as though she were holding a large static charge. Gripping the hilt, she gasped as a cleansing heat seemed to flow from the sword and through her entire body. Shivering slightly, she pulled the weapon from the wall, before sliding it slightly from its sheathe.

The sword was perfectly balanced, and the blade glowed with a brilliant white radiance which brought tears to her eyes. Sliding it back fully into its sheathe, Buffy pulled a roll of bandages from her belt and carefully wrapped it around the pommel stone, blocking the light and returning the room to darkness. Gripping the weapon, she took one last look around before sneaking back to the kitchen.

Buffy got low behind the stack of peat and shoved it in front of the fire place, the bricks of fuel making a considerable racket as they scattered across much of the floor. Running to the pantry, she grabbed a barrel of whisky and threw it at the peat on the floor, the wooden container bursting and sending alcohol everywhere. She smashed two more barrels in the center of the room, before tossing the next so that it burst open just above the fireplace.

Alcohol met flame with a small explosion, and the fire quickly spread to the fuel on the floor. The room quickly heated up like a furnace, and by the time Buffy reached the exit the wooden tables and chairs had already caught fire. Billowing smoke and searing heat chased her outside, and she swiftly hid behind an oversize wheelbarrow as cries of alarm went up all around the castle.

With everyone distracted by the out of control blaze Buffy quickly climbed the innermost wall, crouching behind a crenelation for cover as she took in the position of the sentries. Pausing for a long moment, she waited until no one was looking before jumping with all of her might to the middle wall, running across its top before leaping to the outer wall and flipping to the ground. Landing in a three point stance, Buffy cursed as she heard a cry of alarm from one of the guards.

Buffy ran across the fields, weaving back and forth erratically as she followed the trail to avoid the spear sized arrows streaking towards her. She nearly lost her footing as the ground shook when one of the guards gave up on hitting the small, fast moving target in the dark and began to chase her. Buffy gripping the Sword of Light tightly as she pumped he arms, running as hard as she ever had.

While she could move her legs far faster than the giant could, the difference in stride length was enormous, and she could feel her pursuer closing the distance between them with every passing second. Running under the light of the moon, she saw the trail heading downhill as the roar of the waterfall grew ever louder. Her only hope to escape without having to kill any giants would be to take the Bridge of Two Hairs, but she had no idea what it even was, as she hadn't seen anything at the waterfall from the air.

Soon the waterfall was in sight, and she was impressed by its size. While it was slightly smaller than Niagara Falls, it was nearly as large, and the floor of the gorge was lost in the darkness far below. The water sparkled as it fell under the bright glow of the full moon, and as she approached she could see a white double moonbow stretching from one side to the other.

Her keen slayer eyes revealed no sign of a bridge, and the ground beneath her feet now shook with every lengthy stride the giant took. She had mere seconds to find a way across, with the gap being too far to jump, the river too fast to swim, and a transformation with her tokens taking far to long to perform. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she felt something like panic for just a moment before terrified inspiration struck.

Buffy ran out onto the moonbow. It was completely impossible, the phenomena of moonlight and water was even less solid than a cloud, and yet it supported her weight as she sprinted across the graceful arch. Buffy was only half way across when the giant roared in outrage, the force of his cry nearly sending her tumbling as he expressed his anger at her escape. While it should have been impossible for even her to travel on the ephemeral surface, Rua had told her that no giant could take the path, which meant that she had made it. It had taken stealth, a humiliating transformation, and a fire, but she had stolen the Sword of Light without shedding a drop of blood.

Now to save Xander, she thought with a grin as she ran across the grass away from the angry giants.

Xander spent the day contemplating his options. He had managed to make Balor and Clionadh wary of each other, and had in fact pushed the banshee into attacking Balor at his cue. While she called herself a goddess, she had needed the help of a number of allies to subdue Buffy, and in the end had had to take him hostage to get away from her. Balor was large and powerful seeming, but Buffy now knew his weakness, and should be back soon ready to kick giant ass.

It took him several hours of debating his options before finally deciding to warn Balor. While he would be happy with mutual destruction, he didn't want Clionadh to win a fight between them, as that would leave an opponent that Buffy wasn't ready for for her to fight. Better the enemy they had prepared for than the enemy they hadn't, after all.

When Balor arrived for his evening entertainment, Xander spoke to him quietly. "Hey! Remember the stuff I said about the Banshee Queen?"

"Yes," Balor rumbled. "She would never dare attack me."

"Well, the thing about that is, that she is now totally planning to attack you. Tonight. When you're distracted."

Balor glared with his single, lidded eye. "She would not dare."

"She thinks that you lost a bit of pep in your old age. You haven't exactly been doin' the death glare thing, so she thinks you don't have it. And in case you do, she's gonna attack you while I'm putting on a show tonight."

"This may be true. You will be rewarded if she attacks." He paused. "You will get jester clothes."

"Oh. Yay. Just what I always wanted." Xander said with a sickly smile. "Anyway, when I do this," he said gesturing with an arm, "that means she's about to attack."

"Good," he rumbled. "Now. Entertain me."

Xander began to run through his remaining repertoire of bad jokes, hoping against hope that Buffy wouldn't take much longer to rescue him. He had thought his supply of puns and lowbrow humor was almost endless, but putting on several shows a day for a capricious demon king had begun to strain even his limits. Fortunately, Clionadh soon arrived.

She and her entourage of banshees exchanged brief greetings with Balor, before they began watching his perfromance. As they did so they slowly began to shift their positions, until at last they were sitting in Balor's blindspot. When they appeared to be in place, he subtly waved one arm.

Instantly Clionadh and her three banshees turned to face Balor and began to keen. The mixed sounds were deafening, and even some distance away, with his ears covered and not the target, Xander found himself staggering backwards, barely able to maintain consciousness. The attack that the four had launched was even more potent than the one that had subdued him and Buffy, and if he hadn't warned the giant it would have taken him completely by surprise.

Balor was not surprised, however. He had been waiting for the same signal from Xander that the banshees had been awaiting, and when they began to keen he had simply turned his head and looked at them. He had already begun to reel from the sonic assault, but as he did his eye had opened fully, and his gaze had locked onto the four women.

One after another the three normal banshees simply keeled over, dying one by one and turning into mist which slowly dispersed. Clionadh increased the power of her voice even as she slowly collapsed onto her knees. Her eyes rolled back into her head as the sound slowly died away, and then she too perished, reduced to vapor.

Xander gulped. He was very glad that the Sword of Light would stop that attack, or his rescue would be the shortest in history.

**Author's Notes**

The Fir Bolg were an ancient group of people that supposedly inhabited Ireland without ever encountering the Fomori, before the arrival of the Tuatha de Danann. Not much has been recorded about them, but many sources assume that they were giants, which is what I went with.

The Bridge of Two Hairs I took from the story Maol a Chilobain, from Scotland. Its a Scottish tale about the Sword of Light, and one of the few such stories with a female protagonist. Folklore expert J.F. Campbell believed that the Bridge of Two Hairs may have been a double rainbow, which is what I went with.

Banshees aren't generally attacked in actual myths, although Balor's eye should be able to kill them. Like most Buffyverse creatures I decided that they shouldn't leave a body, and so I made up the way that they died. Next chapter is the final full chapter of this story, so stay tuned!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**The Rescue**

Buffy woke up early the next morning, yawning widely as she stretched under the comforting rays of the morning sun. No matter what else had happened on her mission, she had to acknowledge that not being responsible for an army for a couple of days had let her catch up on some badly needed sleep. Feeling relaxed and ready to face the day like she hadn't been in months, Buffy decided then and there that she would take more time to rest instead of always running herself ragged, no matter how important her mission was, apocalypse season excepted.

The night before Buffy had used her eagle token to fly back to the pond, and then her salmon token to navigate the underwater river. It had been more difficult to find the exit without the sun overhead, but the moonlight had been sufficient for her darkness adjusted eyes to find the crack back to the surface. Once she had gotten out of the pond and into human form, she had found Brown Allree waiting for her.

She had initially planned to immediately ride off to Xander's rescue, but the fairy horse had resisted all of her attempts to mount it. Eventually she had gotten the hint and had eaten a small meal of disgusting rations (which had been, as always, worse than she had remembered), before she had laid down on the soft grass to sleep. She had slept almost from the moment her head had rested on her arms, and nothing had disturbed her slumber for the entire night.

After eating another disgusting ration bar for breakfast, Buffy climbed on top of Brown Allree, and clung on for dear life as it once again began an insane run to her next destination. It ran through the trees, before leaping off of a cliff and onto the ocean, speeding along on its surface for hours before reaching land once more. Leaping up onto the high ground from the sea, it didn't take long for her to reach Dun Bhaloir.

Buffy dismounted and crept from shadow to shadow until she once more reached the walls of the ruined keep, before entering through one of the holes in its side. Skulking without a sound, Buffy soon found her way back to the the throne room where she had found Xander before. Peeking in, she saw no one except her friend's form sitting on the floor of his cage.

"Hey Xan!" Buffy called perkily as she strolled up to him. "Lookie what I... what are you wearing!?"

Xander stood up with a pained smile on his face. "Hey Buff! Good to see ya."

She stared at him wide eyed for several long moments, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

Xander was still wearing his steel collar and black eyepatch, but his other clothing had been replaced with baggy, red and purple striped coveralls. He had a jester's hat on his head, with bells at the end of long strips of cloth that dangled from the shapeless item. His boots had also been replaced with slippers, which had large bells at the toes. "Great on the ol' ego there, Buff."

"Sorry... sorry," she said, gasping as she tried to bring herself back under control. "Its just..."

Buffy then exploded into laughter again, and Xander sighed, rolling his eyes theatrically. "Sure, sure. Don't mind me. Just laugh it up at the victim." While he acted annoyed, in truth Xander was actually pleased to see his friend laughing. It was something she had done very rarely over the last several years, and if it took him humiliating himself to make her do so, then he wouldn't complain. Much, anyway.

"Sorry," Buffy gasped as she wiped her eyes, finally regaining her composure. "So, other than the exciting new taste in clothes, anything happen?"

"Nah, I'm fine. They've just been workin' my dignity over."

Buffy smiled at him teasingly. "Wow! Small target."

"Ha," Xander replied flatly. "And I repeat: ha. Channeling your inner Cordy there, Buff?"

"Okay, okay. Serious mode. Any news, besides my exciting new blackmail material?"

"Well, I hope you've got one fancy new sword," Xander said, eyeing the sheathed weapon she carried speculatively.

Buffy, grinned, unwrapping the pommel so that the glowing diamond was visible. "The fanciest. Bare minimum: I've got a nifty new flashlight."

"Good, 'cause I'm sure as a very sure thing that you'll need it. The cutty part, not the flashlight, 'cause Balor used his funky eye powers last night on those banshees that snatched us."

"How funky were they?" Buffy asked.

"They brought the funk," Xander said, nodding seriously. "Funked up all four banshees."

"Aww, I was hopin' to say hi to them after last time. Still, can't complain 'bout demons fightin' demons. Plus, I got the other one, anyway."

"You slayed the dullahan? Huh. How _do_ you slay a dullahan, 'cause I don't think our books ever said?"

Buffy scrunched her nose up in distaste. "Heart-ectomy with a golden butter knife. Which: souvenir!"

Buffy tossed the dullahan's heart to Xander, who caught it easily. "Thanks. A lump of coal, just like I always wanted."

"Dulla-heart, actually," Buffy said, catching it has he threw it back before tucking it away in her pocket again. "Which, sidebar: couldn't you have just been bad for Santa? 'Cause I hear he likes to give out coal to the bad kids. Not that I have experience with that sorta thing."

"Darn it! I knew I was doing it wrong, sending those letters to Santa asking for coal, then being a good boy. Just think of all the trouble I coulda saved on letter writing if I just stole booze and cigarettes."

Buffy suddenly held up a hand, looking towards the door as she did. "Something's coming. Something big."

Xander nodded, and she then hopped up on top of his cage, crouching behind the boulder covering it so that she was hidden from the doorway. A few moments later they both felt the ground trembling as Balor approached. Buffy was surprised at his appearance as he came through the door, the one eyed giant towering three stories as it thumped forward with its one leg and single long arm. "Jester," it rumbled. "Tell me more of the adventures of this Homer Simpson."

"Actually," Buffy said, hopping up on top of the boulder and drawing the Claiomh Solais. It glowed with a bright white light, filling the entire room with its radiance. "How 'bout you let my friend go. Otherwise, there's gonna be some real, R rated, violent content."

"Where did you get that sword!" Balor rumbled, eyeing her warily with his nearly closed eye.

"It was just kinda hangin' 'round, waiting for things to get dicey. Which they will, unless I get to leave here with my Xander-shaped friend, and his clothes, and Angel's soul."

The giant pulled the Orb of Thesulah out of his shirt, letting it hang from the cord around his neck. "You may have the Claiomh Solais. But I will crush you. I am strongest! Leave if you do not wish to die." He paused for a moment. "Do you wish to die?"

"Nah," she said, hopping down to the ground and bringing the sword up in front of her. "Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt. So, how's it gonna be, big guy? Give up, or hard fall?"

Xander grinned as he watched his friend taunt the giant. While serving as his court jester hadn't been terribly odious, he was really looking forward to getting some vicarious vengeance against his captor. The only thing he was missing was a bag of chips and Willow to share them with while they watched Buffy put on her show.

"Die!" Balor roared, the sound so loud that it nearly knocked the humans off of their feet. He then charged forward, hopping on his single leg and using his long arm to balance himself as he moved. It looked awkward, but he was used to it, and was therefore able to run quickly and with surprising grace towards the Slayer.

Buffy waited with her sword ready as the giant closed, springing forward as he lept into the air at the last moment, his single foot planting on the ground when he was within the reach of his long arm. Buffy's move brought her to his leg before he could react, and she sliced into his ankle, the magical sword carving through skin and corded muscle with ease.

Balor roared in agony, his hand slamming down nearly invisibly fast as Buffy dived forwards, barely avoiding being smashed. Rolling to her feet, she swung her blade again, this time aiming for the giant's achilles tendon. Just as her blade cleaved through flesh, Balor brought his arm back, grabbing her and bringing her into the air in front of him.

Buffy screamed in pain as his hand nearly crushed her as she was lifted into the air. Swinging her blade backwards, she sliced his thumb off, forcing him to drop her with a terrible roar. Buffy fell to the ground, striking the stone hard, driving the air from her lungs. Rolling dazedly onto her back, she saw him raising his arm to smash her into the ground.

Adrenaline and her mystic heritage lent Buffy speed as she dove to her left as the hand came down, her desperate move barely taking her past the missing thumb. The impact of the giant hand against the stone was so fierce that she was thrown through the air, although this time she was able to take control of the motion to land on her feet. Retreating quickly, she narrowly escape the giant's reach as he swung at her once more.

Buffy gasped in breaths once she was safely out of range, her body feeling like one giant bruise, although she was reasonably certain that she at least hadn't broken anything. Balor balanced himself with his arm and moved his foot experimentally, grimacing as the damage that she had inflicted nearly completely denied him any mobility.

Buffy waited until he seemed particularly distracted by the examination of his foot to run forward on silent feet, closing the gap between them as quickly as possible. At the last moment he noticed her, causing him to respond by swinging his arm low to the ground in a huge sweep intended to knock her across the room. The attack was lightning fast, but Buffy had been prepared for the possibility of him countering her charge, and therefore she was ready to jump over his arm as he swung, tumbling through the air and landing on his foot, blade first.

Balor's eyes widened for a moment as her weapon sank deeply into his flesh, before he began to howl in agony. Buffy ran up his foot, dragging the Claiomh Solais hilt deep in his body towards his leg as she went. Reacting instinctively, he smashed his hand down towards the injury, but by then she had already run around his ankle, leaving his hand to instead strike his own injury, causing him to let loose another pained scream.

Buffy paused just past his foot, spinning and finishing the damage that she had already started to his achilles tendon, finally severing it. With his hand clutching his injured foot, and the tendon severed, he crumpled forward onto his knee, unable to stand. "Kill you!" he roared as he fell, the impact with the ground shaking the room.

She didn't take the time to answer, simply jumping onto his now angled back, and running up his body to his neck. Looking at him, she noticed immediately that he also had an eye on the back of his head. It was full of pain and nearly closed because of her sword's light, but it still glared at her hatefully. Sneering in response, she stopped on his shoulder and neatly slit his throat.

Balor reared back as she did, throwing her off as a waterfall of rich red blood poured down his body, swiftly transforming the center of the room into a lake of crimson. Buffy bounced along the ground, her vision graying for a moment after yet another painful impact, before finally she gasped in enough air to bring herself back under control. Sitting up, she smirked in satisfaction as her opponent collapsed to the ground, shaking the entire chamber.

Buffy pulled herself to her feet and walked around to the head of the dying giant. He gazed at her with his single dimming eye, as she slowly cleaned the Sword of Light. "Can't say I didn't warn you," she said casually.

"It's not nice to taunt dying demon kings, Buff," Xander said. "Also: rescue time? Pretty please, with a really wanna get outta this getup on top?"

"Fine, fine. Spoil my fun." Buffy paused long enough to make certain her foe had truly died, before returning to Xander's cage. Jumping on top, she heaved the huge boulder off before opening the lid and offering her friend a helping hand.

Once they were safely on the ground, Xander asked, "think you can get this thing off me?"

"Sure you don't wanna keep it?" Buffy asked, her eyes twinkling as she grabbed his collar.

When he rolled his eyes she gripped the iron band and heaved. The magically reinforced metal groaned for a moment against her strength before finally snapping with a burst of green sparks. "Whew. Did not want to have to explain that thing to Wills."

Xander located his clothing and changed out of his jester's motley, and then the two of them approached the dead giant. "I hope he didn't land on it," Buffy grumbled. "Aren't those orbs kinda fragile?"

Xander found the orb first, and was relieved to see that it was in good shape. "Aha!" he shouted as he bent over and grabbed it. Unfortunately, he could feel cracks on it as he did, and when he lifted it from the ground it crumbled completely, shards of sharp crystal falling through his fingers. He stood up, horror on his face, as the shattered Orb of Thesulah went dark.

Next to him, a faintly glowing figure appeared. Xander's jaw dropped in shock when he saw who it was. The soul trapped in the orb wasn't Angel. It was a young japanese woman with light brown eyes and long, elaborately styled hair. "Satsu!" he sputtered, completely flabbergasted as she slowly faded away.

Buffy was in shock, her suddenly pale face stricken with what she had seen. Satsu had been in the Orb. Satsu's _soul_ had been ripped out and stuck in the Orb. Because of her. She'd tried to warn her, tried to tell her what happend to people who loved her, but Satsu hadn't cared. It had hurt when she had left, but a part of her had believed, foolishly it appeared, that that way at least she would be safely away from her.

"Satsu?" Xander said, looking at his stunned best friend. "Why wasn't it Dead Boy? Wait... thinking, thinking... come on brain... Oh! The spell called the soul of the person you love. Wait. You love Satsu?!"

Buffy swayed slightly on her feet as the part of her that was still able to listen followed his shocked rant. She had forgotten that part. Did she really love Satsu? Sure, it had hurt when she had left, and she still thought about her, and... Oh, god, she thought, swallowing. "Her soul..." Buffy forced past numb lips, her shaking hand reaching towards where it had faded away.

Xander pulled himself back together as he saw her beginning to fall apart. Placing his hands on her shoulders he shook her until he was sure that he had her attention. "Hey, hey! Remember Jenna? Injured Slayer, soul ripped out by sluagh? Living people souls are connected like... like bungies. You can pull them away, but let go and they snap back into place."

Buffy felt herself slowly calm down. She decided that the best course of action was denial. It was an old friend, after all. She would forget about what Satsu's soul being the one in the orb implied until sometime much _much_ later. If ever, since what had just happened showed her clearly once again the dangers of knowing her for the people she lo- cared about. For now, though, she would concentrate on the fact that Xander thought that things would be okay, and so she decided to believe him. She wasn't sure she could handle any other outcome at that moment.

"Come on," Buffy said, her voice slightly weak, but growing stronger as she fell back into her familiar role as commander. "We need to get back to HQ." She then turned on her heel and strode determinedly towards the exit.

"Great idea, Buff," Xander said as he fell into step with her. "Where are we, though? 'Cause the radios don't work too well. Or, you know, at all."

"We're in some other dimension. This guy helped me out getting the sword, so I'm hopin' he'll help us get back."

"Guy?" he asked curiously as they left the ruined castle. He smiled and took a huge breath of fresh air as he walked into the sunlight for the first time in days. It amazed him how little sun he could see for weeks while fighting evil without concern, but a few days captivity had him basking in its rays.

"Yeah, that guy," Buffy said, nodding towards Rua, who was leaning against Brown Allree not far from the castle gates.

"It does me good to see you well, Buffy," the red haired man said. "And well met to you, stranger. I am Rua, and you must be the friend that she was so desperate to rescue."

"Desperate?" Xander asked curiously. "I'm Xander."

"She was prepared to hare off into the night with no plan or way to find you, had I not intervened," Rua said, smiling.

"_She_ is right here," Buffy grumped. "Here."

She handed him the sheathed sword as well as the three tokens.

"Whoa, whoa," Xander said. "Time out. Giving up the fancy magic sword to some guy, Buffster?"

Buffy shrugged. "I promised to give him the sword and the other stuff if he helped me get it."

"But... but... the sword kills vampires."

"So do pointy bits of wood."

"Yeah, but not by _glowing_."

Buffy shrugged. "So I'll need a stake and a flashlight. No biggie."

Xander shook his head, exasperated. "The glow kills vamps, Buffy. Draw your sword, clear the room. No fuss, no muss, just dust."

Buffy pouted. "Why'd you have to tell me that now? Couldn't you have mentioned it, oh, I don't know, before I promised to give it up!?" She turned her best puppy dog eyes on Rua. "I gave you the sword. Do you really need to keep it though? Please?"

Rua chuckled. "I am sorry, but I must return it to the guardianship of the Fir Bolg. It is not a weapon to freely travel the mortal world. Besides, it will not be enough to stop your true enemy."

They suddenly became serious. "True enemy?" Xander asked. "How come I don't like the sound of that?"

"Because you are not the fool you pretend to be?" Rua suggested "Balor was awakened from his slumber by the spirit of rebirth known as Twilight."

"Twilight," Buffy snarled. "Wait. Spirit of rebirth?"

Rua nodded seriously. "Twilight seeks to cause the end of this age of the world and the birth of a new one, bringing about the end of the dominance of man. He seeks allies like Balor who had once ruled much of the world, but who now simply wait for their time to come once more. This defeat will not stop him, either; he will simply find others who have much to gain with a change in the balance of the world."

"Great," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "Another apocalypse."

Rua chuckled slightly. "I see that with people like the two of you leading the war, things will be in good hands for the mortal world. And, since you kept our bargain and did not seek to renege, I will help you to return to your own place at a time that will serve you well."

"Time that will serve you well?" Xander asked as thick fog gathered around them from nowhere, obscuring the sun completely and blocking all visibility. After a long moment the fog slowly faded away, leaving them standing in a meadow, at night, near a copse of trees. Looking around in confusion, Buffy saw Jenna lying on the ground a short distance away.

"This is Medevac Team Two, repeat, this is Medevac Team Two," a voice said over their radios, making them both jump. "Do you copy?"

"Um, yeah, this is Xander. I read you loud and clear."

"Thank god!" the voice said. "You were out of communication for nearly three minutes. What's your status?"

While Xander apprised the medics, Buffy checked on her Slayer. She was relieved to find her alright, although she would need both treatment and some serious downtime to recover fully. As her sensitive hearing picked up the sound of approaching choppers, Xander approached.

"Three minutes?" he asked.

Buffy shrugged. "Different dimension. Guess he had some control over when we came out. Won't complain."

Xander just nodded in agreement.

**Author's Notes**

Balor in myth had been killed by his descendant hitting him in the eye. This was obviously a different method, but one that seems reasonable, as the Sword of Light was often used to kill giants in different stories.

People spending time in the Otherworld find that time is fluid there. Some people emerge after spending many years only to return after a single night. Others leave after a brief visit to find decades have passed in the mortal world.

People familiar with Season 8 will see that I'm changing Twilight a bit, although the basic concept is the same. I feel that bringing about a new age in the same world makes for a better premise than causing a new dimension to replace the world, so that's what I'm doing. Remember, only the events through issue 20 are canon for my story.

Just the epilogue remains for this tale, and then sequels.


	10. Epilogue

**Disclaimer**

I don't own anything. Buffy is not owned by me. It is owned by rich, talented people. I'm a nobody. Please don't sue me.

**Dinner and an Aborted Talk**

When they returned to their temporary headquarters in Scotland Buffy and Xander had a great many things to do and little time to do it in. It was several hours later before Xander ran into Buffy at the entrance to the cafeteria. They had both taken the time to shower for the first time in days and to change into casual clothing.

"Buffster! Gettin' your grub on?" Xander asked as he followed her towards the food.

"Well, I had thought about coming here to catch up on some Zs, but then I thought: hey! No beds! Plus: food! So, here we are."

"Ah, to be the Watcher of the original Slayer. How Giles ever survived the sarcasm I'm without a clue."

"Such are the mysteries of the universe," Buffy said, nodding sagely.

"Anywho, food it to me! Balor's kitchen wasn't exactly overflowin' with the delicacies."

"Yeah, well, I was living off rations, cage-boy."

"Cage-_Man_ thank you. Now let's see what bountiful spread we have before us. Well, I see dishes three. And I'm thinkin' salmon."

Buffy turned slightly green as she saw the cooked fish. She had been a salmon not very long ago, and the thought of eating it felt a bit too cannibalistic for her sanity. "Pass. What else is there?"

"Hmm," Xander said, eying the other dishes. "Well, looks like the other two choices are exciting. First, you can have this... which is apparently called Mince and Tatties."

"Mince and Tatties," Buffy asked, eyeing the choice dubiously.

"Or, you could try the Lamb Collops."

Buffy swallowed her gorge as she smelled the sweet scent of cooked sheep. "Mince and Tatties it is."

Xander looked at her questioningly as he grabbed some of the salmon and followed her to an empty table. "So, what's with the culinary branch, Buff?"

"What? Can't a girl try the local cuisine?"

"Sure," Xander agreed with a nod. "But, a girl doesn't usually turn green about the eating of the sheeps and the salmons, and not even blink at the... whatever tatties are."

"Long as they aren't eagles," Buffy muttered under her breath.

"Did something weird, maybe interesting, maybe able to cause the forgetting of certain outfits, happen to you over there?"

"No!" she said sharply, shaking her head and determinedly digging into her plate. She started to squirm when he kept eyeing her. "Fine. Weirdness happened. Weird, bad, humiliating stuff. Stuff that will never _ever _be spoken of."

"Come on! What are best friends for? Don't make me get Dawnie in on this."

"Not talkin'."

"I'll get Wills to point her resolve face at you."

"No power on this earth," Buffy said, miming sealing her lips with a key.

They ate in peace for a bit as Xander considered his next topic. Finally, with a sigh he plunged right in. "So I called the Japanese office."

Buffy stiffened, then continued to eat, feigning nonchalance. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Seems Satsu collapsed for a couple of minutes right in the middle of training. Everyone got real worried, then she just got better. No idea what happened."

Buffy didn't respond, didn't even look at him as she finished her food.

"What are you gonna do, Buff? I mean, you love-"

"Do you think we'll have any problems from this," Buffy interjected, suddenly all business. "I mean, the King of the Fomori and the Queen of the Banshees are dead. Plus, that Rua guy got the sword in the end. Do you think it's gonna come back to bite us?"

Xander gave her a hard look before reluctantly answering. "I'm more worried about Twilight. You just redeadened the Fomori King, and I doubt many people even noticed he was out and about in the three minutes it took you. I'm pretty sure that Rua was one of the Tuatha de Danann, same as Clionadh, so I think we just got jerked around by an internal struggle there. Probably won't spill over."

"Two of the Dannon? You mean like, the yogurt?"

Xander sighed long sufferingly. "Don't insult my intelligence, Buff. I know you looked up what happened before you even showered, so you know what I'm talking about. Just like I know you checked on Satsu before you even did that. Talk to me."

Sighing, Buffy fiddled with her plate. "Nothing to talk about."

"You love her. She loves you. I mean, I get that the whole you she and she she thing could be a bit wiggy, although I always thought there was something going on with you and Faith..."

"Don't even mention her. Plus, that isn't it at all. I mean, I've never been with any other women, but... that's not the point. The point is, it doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters! Buffy... I don't know how to say this, but..."

"Then don't!" she snapped as she stood and grabbing her empty tray. "There's nothing to say. 'Sides, didn't you see what just happened? I let her go, and she still gets her soul ripped out. People who love me... Nothing can happen. Even if we... no. Nothing _will_ happen."

"Buffy," Xander said, standing up and looking at her with so much compassion that she felt her eyes watering for a moment before she forced everything away. She was the Slayer, not some love sick schoolgirl. The mission was what mattered. It was all that ever really mattered.

"No. Now, we've got work to do. This Twilight character? I need to know everything about him five minutes ago. I think we can safely say apocalypse season is getting ready to start."

"I'll let this go for now," Xander said quietly as he gathered up his own tray. "But this talk is _not _over."

Buffy didn't even acknowledge him as she headed out to check in with Command and Control. She had work to do.

She always had work to do.

**Author's Notes**

Another story finished! This is just the first part of a longer series, but for now this tale is leaving Celtic mythology behind, and heading to a Norse. I hope you enjoyed this exploration of one of the less well known mythologies.

Also, I would like to point out now that this series will be Buffy/Satsu, although it won't be very quick. I've never written romance, so I'm easing my way into it, rather than focusing everything on that aspect. The plot isn't suddenly going to be abandoned in favor of the pairing – I'm trying to make it organic.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, and that you'll read what comes next! See you Monday for part two: Gram: Wrath.


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